Growing
by atruwriter
Summary: While the world holds two former enemies in ridicule for being secret best friends, they must stand up against their friends, family, and schoolmates. Through the hardships of hate, they must also come to terms with their true feelings for each other. DHr
1. Prologue

**Growing**

_Prologue_

**I**t was harder than it looked; pretending in front of everyone. They were supposed to hate each other; it was expected of them. But after fourth year, it all changed. They weren't sure how or why, but it did. They began meeting in secret; neither of them told anyone else about it. Absolutely no one knew about them.

**I**t was awkward at first; neither of them knowing what to say or do. But before long, they were sharing their lives with each other. They found refuge in the bond they shared. No longer were they just two faces in the crowd. They weren't the people everyone thought them to be. They were much more than that; they had depth and feelings that they never shared with anyone but each other.

**T**hey became best friends; though it never appeared like they were anywhere near as close as they were. They didn't want to hear everyone's doubts and insults about their friendship. They were closer with each other than anyone else; which was a hard thing to believe. They had each other; they understood each others' doubts about themselves.

**W**hen nobody else listened, they were able to share the best and worst parts of their lives. She was able to tell him of how she was always feeling frazzled and unnerved; something nobody else would believe, since she was outwardly so together. He shared his relationship with his father; from the painful beatings to the high expectations of his loyalty. How he and his father were once close but it had morphed into something filled with cruel and agonizing horror. Being able to tell each other these things, had made them closer beyond words. It was as if they were the same person; and yet so entirely different.

**I**t leaked out; maybe someone had seen them when they thought they were being inconspicuous or noticed that their insults weren't nearly as mean as they should be. Whoever it was that found out about them, told Skeeter and she gladly put it in her magazine. Along side the dark wizards, and the news of Voldemort planning an attack, a whole article was designated about how they had been secret friends for years. How they were hiding it from everyone, including their best friends.

**S**ome of you may be thinking that that's just an unfortunate event. How important could they be that it would cause such a ruckus? Why were they any different from any other witch or wizard? Well these two had a past; a volatile past. These two were not supposed to be best friends, nor friends at all. They were supposed to hate each other with a fire so hot it would scald you just from thinking of it. These two were supposed to despise each other to the bitter core. Because the case was no longer so, it certainly caused a lot of media coverage. Not to mention the anger and questions of the people close to them.

**N**ow they had to face it all; the ridicule, the hatred, the gossip. But they would make it; they would hold their heads high, proudly. They would walk down the halls of Hogwarts, side by side like true friends. They would glare and scowl and stare right back at the unbelieving wizards.

**T**hey were Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy; they would show no show shame for their actions. They were friends, and nothing would end that. Except one thing; something not even they expected. A feeling that neither of them knew they could possess; but with each touch, and each glance, it grew between them. It blossomed from friendship into something more, something forbidden. It was time for them to realize that their secret frienship was ending and something much deeper was growing between them.

**I**f the wizards and witches of Hogwarts were astonished at hearing of their friendship, how would they react to them falling in love?

-

**A/N** _There's more to come, however I won't be working on this often, at least notuntil I've finished "**Blood Is Thicker Than Tears**." Whenever I go off subject, I find I just can't keep up with my first task._


	2. Past and Present

**Growing**

_Chapter One_

_Past and Present_

Hermione sat on the long burgundy couch adorning the Head Common Room, a thick book sat on her lap, propped up by her legs as she read intently. Her eyes ran over the mesmerizing words, drinking them in with fascination. Suddenly darkness covered her; startled at first, she soon realized it was none other than her best friend bugging her about reading.

"What ever will you do now?" he drawled, sarcastically. "Unable to read or do homework, why I think you might very well die," he bugged, dramatically.

"You'd do well to get in a little reading yourself, Draco," she said, shaking her head.

Releasing her eyes from his hands, he hopped over the back of the couch and sat down beside her. "Read?" he asked, feigning a horrified face. "But that would completely take away from my sexy, brooding look," he told her. "How many hot Slytherin's do you see with their heads buried in books?" he wondered, shaking his head.

"Zero," she told him, lifting an eyebrow. "Because there's no such thing as a hot Slytherin," she replied, smirking.

Lifting his hand, he placed it over his heart and made a pained face. Falling forward, he landed on the ground with a thud. "You've broken my heart, Hermione," he said, his voice hoarse with his acting. "I- I- I think I see a light," he said, lifting a hand and reaching out.

Stifling a laugh, Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh honestly," she said, kneeling beside him. "What's put you in such a great mood?" she wondered, pushing his shoulder.

Rolling onto his side and dropping the act, Draco placed his head on his hand and stared up at her. "What do you mean? Are you trying to tell me something?" he asked, cocking his eyebrow. "Are you saying I'm usually in a foul mood? One so deep and angry that I can't bug my best mate for being a book worm whenever the mood strikes me?"

"I'm saying that a grin has been permanently stuck on your face and hasn't moved since you released my eyes," she told him, sighing. "So, what's different about today?" Her eyes thinned suspiciously. "Unless it has something to do with Pansy," she said, lifting her hands to stop him from speaking. "Then I certainly don't want to know if that's what has you in such high spirits." Frowning, she made a motion with her mouth as if she tasted something disgusting.

Laughing, Draco sat up. "No, I've just been feeling good about today. I got my Potions essay back, perfect mark!" He told her, grinning. "I ran into a few first year Hufflepuff's making a ruckus, took away a few points," he said, smirking about his favorite past time. "And I ran into Potter and Lovegood, could those two have more sexual tension, or what?"

Frowning, Hermione shook her head. "Harry's dating Ginny," she reminded.

"Right," Draco said, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, bugged Potter for awhile, until he threatened to hex me to the Black Lake, then I figured I'd just go bug someone else." Shrugging, he sat up and leaned against the couch. "Nothing great, but I've been pretty happy."

Nodding, Hermione sighed. "Well, I've been bored out of my mind," she told him, crossing her arms. "Ron was supposed to drop in for some help with his homework, but he cancelled, saying he and Lavender were going to study together. Meaning I wasted my day waiting for him, so he could go snog his girlfriend." Shaking her head, she exhaled loudly. "Then I thought maybe Harry and I could do something, but he told me he was going to ride his broom for awhile. He invited me a long, but you know how I hate flying," she said, frowning. "And I ran into Parkinson in the hallway, I swear if I have to hear her giggle and screech about her 'Dracie-poo' one more time..." Her eyes thinned with annoyance.

Laughing, Draco simply nodded. "So you decided to turn to books for condolence?" he asked, picking up the huge textbook by his head. "How far have you read?"

"Page 1,568," she told him, smiling.

His brows lifted in surprise. "That settles it then," he said, sighing and standing up.

"Settles what?" she asked, confused.

Holding his hand out to her, he helped her off the floor. "It's obvious we need to go out and do something actually fun," he said, walking towards the portrait hole with her hand still held tightly in his.

"Wait," she said, shaking her head. "Exactly what do you have in mind? It's not a Hogsmeade weekend," she reminded, her voice stern.

"Come on Hermione," he said, grabbing their coats off the rack. "Live a little."

He had made it to the door, when she stopped him. "But people will see us together," she reminded, shaking her head.

Sighing, Draco leaned his head back against the wall. "It's been two years, you'd think they would've figured it out by now," he said, frowning.

"We're just that great of actors," she said, smiling briefly. Slipping her jacket on, she shrugged. "I'm sure one outing won't cause too much disaster. After all, we're sneaking out aren't we? Almost no one else will be in Hogsmeade," she said, nodding.

"Really?" he asked, his mood brightening again.

Laughing, Hermione shook her head. "Merlin, you'd think I'd just told you, you won the Quidditch cup," she bugged.

"No that excitement is reserved for the end of the year when I do win," he said, smirking. "This is just because I'm tired of us always being cooped up in here, day in and day out."

"Nobody is stopping you from going out with Zabini or Parkinson," Hermione told him, tugging on her hair as it got stuck beneath her jacket.

Reaching out, Draco absently pulled her hair out in a gentle manner and pulled her jacket closed while he buttoned it quickly. Noticing her amused expression, he cocked an eyebrow. "You were far too slow," he told her, shrugging. "And I didn't want to hang out with Parkinson, the girl is far too enthralled with me to get a full sentence out," he reminded, glancing at her pointedly.

Batting her eyelashes in mock flirtation, Hermione clasped her hands together and lifted them beneath her chin. "Oh, but how couldn't she be, Dracie-poo," she said in a high-pitched girly voice. "You're so unbelievably sexy," she went on, reaching out and running her finger down the middle of his chest. "I can hardly hold myself back from snogging you right here!"

Smirking, Draco nodded with a sigh. "I always knew you wanted me," he said, opening the door. "Ready?" he asked, gesturing that they were about to walk out into public.

Standing straight, she lifted her chin and put on an annoyed expression. "Always," she said, before walking through in a stomping fashion. Crossing her arms, she glared back at him, the laughter dancing in her eyes. "Hurry up then Ferretboy, we don't have all afternoon."

Draco's eyes thinned towards her, his tall form stalking towards her with a sharp air of superiority. "You'll be the one chasing after me, mudblood," he said, callously.

Hermione almost laughed at that point, hearing the old insulting name come off his tongue was like being tickled now. An afternoon, shortly after they had become friends, they decided they were going to get rid of its meaning by ruining its hate. So, they yelled it at each other until they were blue in the face and when they were done, it had lost all meaning. In the end, they fell down in a fit of laughter at their ridiculous actions.

Following after him, she stuffed her hands in the pockets of her jacket and put on a gloomy facade as she passed numerous students in the hallways. Draco would glance behind him on occasion, checking to see if she was still with him. "Pick up the pace, Gryffindork," he called back.

"We're not in a race, Slyther-git," she shouted to him, moving her feet quickly.

Many of the students around them kept out of their way, it was well known that some of their fights were beyond scary. Rumors and gossip spilled amongst the kids, thinking up terrifying tales of injuries and dark magic being thrown between the two enemies. More often, people didn't get in the way but simply ran for cover. Even though Draco and Hermione knew their fighting was really more of a joking banter now, to others it was filled with merciless hate. Outsider's never noticed the laughter or amusement sparking in each of the Head's eyes.

Finding one of the many hidden passages to Hogsmeade, Draco made sure the coast was clear before ushering her through. It wasn't long before they were looking around and inhaling the chilling air. Being as it was nearly December, it was cooling quickly and on occasion snow had littered the ground before melting away from the still warm Fall sun.

Draping his arm around her shoulders, Draco waved his arm in front of the commotion happening in the area before them. "Doesn't this look like much more fun than reading a book in a boring common room?" he asked, smiling.

Unable to suppress her grin, she nodded. "Come on then," she said, walking towards Honeydukes Sweetshop. "I've been craving chocolate," she told him.

Smiling, Draco continued with her, his arm comfortably still around her. Passing a window, he glanced at their profile, taking in how couple-like they looked together. With Hermione glancing back at him, her cheeks rosy from the cool wind and a warm grin tugging at her lips. Her arm rested comfortably around his back, resting on his side. Their friendship had grown so easily over the years that they had fallen into being close to each other without even noticing how it might look to people around them. Of course, they never acted like this in front of their Hogwarts school mates, but still anyone could see them together in Hogsmeade. It was widely known all over that the two of them hated each other greatly.

For a moment, Draco wasn't fazed by the fact that Hermione looked like his girlfriend, he didn't really find the idea that absurd. Given that she was his best friend, the only person who really knew him as deeply as possible, she was actually the perfect candidate for the spot. She was wonderfully beautiful too, as he had noticed most of the school had come to realize too. Her hair had lost its once frizzy state, falling down her back in soft curls that reached her hips. Her body had filled out in feminine curves, which sat nicely above her long, shapely legs. Her face was just as expressive as ever, with her small button nose, almond shaped cinnamon eyes, and warm pink lips. Of course, her being muggleborn hadn't been a problem for him in over two years, his friends and family would certainly disapprove.

Unfortunately, the position was already taken by the person his father had dubbed _right for him_. Pansy Parkinson had been given the title of Draco's girlfriend for nearly three years now, though he didn't treat her all that great, no better than his male friends anyway. She tended to hang off of him in an attempt to make him enjoy her company, but he rarely paid her any heed and often told her to stop being so clingy.

Hermione's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "Draco," she called again, staring at him in confusion.

"Huh?" he asked, turning back to her.

Chuckling, she lifted an eyebrow. "Too absorbed in staring at yourself?" she asked, enjoying the look of annoyance that crossed his face. "And here I thought you'd moved on from your conceited ways," she bugged, smiling. Breaking away from him, she disappeared through the door of Honeydukes, her eyes traveled over the delicious edible dreams all over.

Snorting, Draco followed her inside. It was true that when they had first met he had been entirely absorbed with himself. Finding that he really couldn't rely on others, he saw himself as the only worthy person in school. During the time he had spent with Hermione though, he found a true confidant in her and often found himself listening more to her beliefs of all people being equal no matter what their heritage. He hadn't really found any truth behind his father's teachings of pure-bloods being more superior, especially with Hermione showing her power and intelligence behind her lack of pure-bloodedness. Though he often made fun of his past cockiness still, he lacked the real feelings of being all that much better than most people. He had to keep appearances up in public though, especially around his Slytherin Housemates.

Finding Hermione eyeing the many colourful treats, he smiled at her with amusement. Finally, she settled on a giant piece of chocolate and skipped out the door with a happy grin on her face. Draco simply shook his head at her and glanced down at the bag with mock horror. "All that chocolate will throw you into a hyperactive coma," he warned, nodding. "You'll be happier than Weaslette when Potter glances at her."

Chuckling, Hermione shook her head. "Nope, I'm going to make it last until the end of the year," she told him, nodding.

Crossing his arms, he lifted an eyebrow. "That's what you said last year when you bought that giant bag of chocoballs," he reminded, nodding. "Do you remember that?"

Shaking her head, she began humming as if she couldn't hear him. Walking quickly towards Gladrags Wizardwear, she glanced back and smiled at Draco's laughter.

"An entire bag," he continued, shaking his head. "I couldn't even count how many you bought. One week and it was finished! The last day, you ate so much you had a stomach ache for hours." His eyes were lit up with laughter.

"Oh honestly," she said, rolling her eyes. "It wasn't that bad!"

Nodding, he opened the door for them. "It was that bad," he told her, grinning.

Walking through the many aisles of clothing, Hermione's hands ran over the fabrics with mild interest. She was thinking of buying a dress to wear for Christmas but wasn't entirely sure. She wasn't going home this year, so she'd be spending it at Hogwarts. Meaning the only people who would really see her were Draco, Harry, and possibly Ron. Because her red-headed best friend might be heading home with his younger sister to spend some time with his family, Hermione wasn't sure if she'd be seeing him during the holiday. There's likely be others at the school, but she wouldn't be parading around in the dress very often anyway.

"What about this one?" Draco asked, holding up a very short red dress against his chest. "I really think it'll show off my legs," he said, smirking.

"Well," she said, lifting a finger and placing it against her chin. "You certainly have nice legs," she said, nodding while she went along with his gag.

A salesman walked by, gave them a suspicious and slightly appalled look before he disappeared as if he was helping someone else.

Smirking, Draco nodded. "I think the colours a little bright for me though," he said, sighing. "Oh well, I guess I'll have to stick with my regular evening gown of a dark green."

Tipping her head as if it was a sad thing, Hermione chuckled before glancing back at the rack of dresses. "What do you think of this one?" she asked, holding out a long black dress.

"Too conservative," he said, shaking his head.

Pulling out a small, revealing red mini-dress, she tried to hide her look of disgust.

Draco's brows lifted and his jaw dropped slightly. "Not conservative enough," he said, pushing it back in with the others.

Snorting, Hermione moved her hands over the rest until she found something she liked. Pulling it out slightly, she nodded. "I think we have a winner," she said, quietly. Pulling it out, she held it against herself and grinned. Draco was looking through a few suits on the other side of the store, so Hermione walked up to the front and laid the dress down.

When the salesman rung it up, Hermione's eyes bulged at the price. "Oh," she said, biting her lip. She hadn't checked the price and now she was almost completely sure she didn't want to get the dress, no matter how perfect it seemed.

Draco appeared by her side, dropping an elegant suit on the counter and glancing at Hermione, who was still trying to decide in her head what she was going to do. Sighing, she shook her head.

The salesman glared at her and was about to cancel it, but Draco lifted his hand. "Charge it mine," he said, pushing his clothes out.

"Draco," Hermione stopped, shaking her head.

Turning to her, he smiled. "What?" he asked, lifting a brow. "It's a dress, it's not going to break me," he told her. "Believe me, it's no problem."

Frowning, Hermione didn't like the idea of him paying for things. She always felt rather unworthy when she compared his wealth to hers. He never put much stock in his rich background, at least not since she and he had becoming friends. But she always felt rather uneasy when he paid for things without even thinking of it.

Not waiting for her to stop him from his act of kindness, Draco had the man ring it all up and paid for it promptly. Directing her out of the store, Draco handed her the bag holding her new Christmas outfit. "Don't worry," he said, shrugging. "You can pay for our drinks," he said, walking towards The Three Broomsticks.

Smiling, Hermione nodded. Though it was hardly anywhere near the price he paid for her dress, it was still contributing, which she liked. Opening the door for her once more, he ushered her in and they glanced around at the nearly empty shop. The owner stood near the front bar, talking to a few people as they drank their beverages. A few people were scattered around at random tables, quietly talking amongst themselves.

Taking a booth at the back, they ordered a couple mugs of butterbeer and Hermione put her bag of chocolate on the table. Opening the wrapper, she broke off a chunk and handed it to him before grabbing a larger piece for herself.

Draco ate his with leisure, watching her stare at the dark piece of heaven as if it were the last taste of perfection she'd ever after. Chuckling, he shook his head. "Eat it already," he told her. "You have an entire giant bar left, that piece isn't going to make any difference."

Sighing, she stared at it a little longer. "No," she told him, frowning. "This piece is the most important. Haven't you ever wanted something so much that when you finally have it, it's almost beyond expectation?" she asked, her eyes glued to the chunk in front of her.

"It's chocolate, Hermione, just eat it," he said, rolling his eyes.

Their drinks arrived and Draco took a nice long guzzle. "Wow, I've wanted that for awhile," he said, mocking her. "It was certainly beyond expectation," he continued, licking his lips. "I'm glad I drank it right away instead of drawing it out though," he said, sighing.

Frowning, Hermione glared at him and then opened her mouth and popped the piece in. Her eyes fluttered with a sense of ecstacy. "Mmm," she murmured. "Swo gwood," she said, through her mouthful.

"No need to show me," he said, motioning to her open mouth.

Laughing, she covered her mouth. After she finished letting the piece melt away on her tongue, she grinned at him. "So," she said, in a perky voice. "I'm glad we got out of Hogwarts, thanks for taking me here. It feels good to get away from my studies."

Lifting his eyebrows, Draco reached out and placed the back of his hand against her forehead. "Are we suffering from some kind of potion malfunction?" he asked. "Or am I dreaming? Because I could have sworn you just thanked me for getting you away from your studies," he said, emphasizing the last word.

Taking a drink from her butterbeer, Hermione stared at him with a cocked eyebrow. "You always have to be sarcastic, don't you?"

"Well, it is in my nature, so yes," he replied, leaning back in the booth. Sighing, he glanced out the window. "Father sent me a letter," he said, causing her eyes to glance up, worried.

The mood had considerably changed from its high and easy going manner, as Draco's father was never a light subject. "What did he have to say?" she wondered, reaching out and placing her hand over his.

Shrugging, he kept his eyes outside, but his hand held hers tightly. "Nothing out of the ordinary. My grades aren't good enough, my Quidditch team is pathetic, Pansy's father thinks I'm not treating her to the best of my abilities, and I should ready myself for the Dark Mark." His eyes fell while he clenched and released his jaw.

"Hey," she said, beckoning him to look at her. "Your grades are the second best in the entire school," she told him, smiling proudly. "And you did that all on your own," she reminded, running her thumb over his grasp. "You team is doing a great job, while they may be cheating just a tiny bit," she said, holding her thumb and forefinger a small space apart. "And, well, who really treats Parkinson to the best of their abilities?" she asked, snorting.

A smile graced his face before disappearing. "What about the last part?" he asked, staring down at the table. "How do I turn becoming a Death Eater into something good?" he wondered.

Sighing, Hermione reaching out and tipped his chin. "I still think you should speak to Dumbledore," she told him, nodding. "Become part of the Order, fight for our side," she said, staring at him searchingly.

"My father would kill me," he said, shaking his head.

"Precautions will be taken," she promised. "He may never even know, we don't know what Dumbledore will tell you."

Swallowing, Draco nodded. "Maybe I'll go and see him later," he said, lifting his butterbeer to his mouth. "Will you come with me?" he asked, before taking a sip.

"What? You mean like, let Dumbledore know that we're friends?" she asked, her eyes lifting in surprise.

"It's not like he has anyone to gossip to," Draco said, nodding. "Plus, he might actually believe I'm being real if you're there to prove I'm not the evil git I portray so perfectly each day."

Nodding, Hermione let go of his hand and guzzled back the last of her drink. "Alright," she said, slipping out of the booth. "I see no harm in that."

Knocking back the last gulp at the bottom, Draco followed her out of the refreshment shop. Waving at Madame Rosmerta, they pulled their coats tighter as they walked back towards the secret entrance to Hogwarts. Glancing at Hermione in her chilly state, Draco wrapped his arm around her. "You know," he said, keeping his eyes forward. "We won't be able to pretend forever."

Turning her face up to his, she nodded. "I know," she said, sighing. "But we should at least wait until Voldemort has been destroyed. Otherwise," she said, wrapping her arm around his back. "You or I could become targets for his campaign against liking muggleborns."

Nodding, Draco rubbed her arm to warm her up slightly. "I just don't like having to act all the time," he said, quietly.

"Well I know how you really are," she said, smiling. "And its rather fun having a secret friendship," she said, smirking. "Oh the mystery, the danger of it all," she said, dramatically.

Rolling his eyes, he directed Hermione through the passageway. When they reached the school, they pulled their jackets off, feeling much too warm for them. Checking his pocket watch, Draco rubbed his stomach. "Good, its dinner time," he told her.

"Wonderful," she said, as they walked towards the Head common room to drop off their coats.

The halls were empty, so they didn't need to insult each other at all. Draco sometimes had trouble coming off mean when he really had no angry feelings towards Hermione any longer. She seemed to find the fun in it all and often made a game out of who could find the best rude name to call each other. He decided she spent time mulling over these names, since she often won with sly comebacks and insulting little names for him much quicker than him.

On their way back towards the Great Hall, Hermione reached out and pushed his shoulder.

Chuckling, he looked over at her. "What was that for?" he asked.

"I don't know," she replied, shrugging. "I just felt like it."

"You mean you felt like touching me," he replied nodding. "Just can't keep your hands off me, can you?" he asked, smirking. "Look, Granger, I've been seeing someone exclusively for a few years now. I think its time you got over your silly crush."

"By exclusively, you mean ignoring them at all costs and pretending their not sitting in your lap, right?" she asked, lifting her eyebrow. "And what can I say, Malfoy?" she asked, emphasizing his last name. Stepping in front of him, she pressed her hands against his chest. "You're just so unbelievably god-like," she teased, lifting a hand to her forehead and feigning as if she was fainting. Actually falling to the ground, she landed on her bottom with a thud. "Ow," she whined, glaring up at him. "You were supposed to catch me," she said, taking the hand he offered to help her up.

Laughing, Draco shrugged. "How was I supposed to know that? I'm a God, Hermione, not a mind reader." Walking to the tall doors, he looked over at her. "Who's going in first?" he asked.

"It's going to look peculiar either way," she replied. "We might as well go in together," she told him, rubbing her bottom with a scowl.

"Oh you didn't fall that hard," he said, rolling his eyes. "Would you like to me to make it better?" he asked, smirking.

"And just how do you suppose you'd accomplish that?" she asked, her brow lifting.

"Since you have no faith in my abilities, I refuse to help you," he said, opening the door with a flourish. "In you go, bookworm," he said, motioning with a fake sneer.

"Gladly," Hermione replied, her eyes thinning to angry slits. Stepping inside, she became slightly unnerved by the whispers going around the Hall. Students from all the tables were glancing at her and Draco as they walked in. He acted as if he didn't notice, but his eyes caught hers with a questioning look. Walking slowly towards her table, she sat down across from Harry and besideRon who were staring down at their food.

"Hey guys," she greeted, reaching out for a bun sitting in front of her.

Ron grunted, turning away from her.

Harry dropped his fork, looked up at her with rather angry eyes, fused with a tinge of hurt. "Is it true?" he asked, pointedly.

Shaking her head, Hermione stared at him confused. "Is what true?"

Snorting, Ron pulled out a magazine from his pocket and threw it in front of her. "Courtesy of Rita Skeeter," he said, his eyes staring at her with loathing.

"Rita Skeeter," Hermione repeated with disbelief and suspicion. Lifting the paper, she read the title in her head: '_Masquerading Enemies._' Gulping noticeably, her eyes fell down to the article beneath it and her mouth went dry.

'Is this reporter spinning a fancy tale? Heavens no. I would do no such thing, my dear readers. For I have found the perfect, juicy story for your eyes only. It seems our Boy Wonder has put his trust in none other than a cheating traitor. One Hermione Granger is not all she seems. Though she acts as if she's completely behind our very own Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter, all is not right. For she, for many years now, has been spinning her tale of lies. Yes, my lovely readers, she has been acquainting herself with the enemy. None other than Draco Malfoy; Harry Potter's archnemesis, that is to say, besides Voldemort.

'What possible reason should I have for believing this? Well, a very reliable source has whispered in my ear of the truth she has recently stumbled upon. Over two years ago, the two traitors to their sides had found themselves in a situation that only one could call that of friendship. And this unforgivable act has been going on ever since. The two have enjoyed themselves behind the backs of their friends, professors, and family. Spending many a day pretending as if they hate each other, while really they treat each other in private as the best of friends.

'What reason could these two have for hiding their real feelings for one another? This reporter has a sneaking suspicion that perhaps friendship is not all the two feel for each other. And even were it really just a comradery between the two, they must not have felt it ideal to let their real feelings unto one another into the public eye. As Draco Malfoy is known to be a supporter of the Dark Lord, following in the steps of his father Lucius, who is undergoing investigation once more. Hermione Granger, though known for her support of the Boy-Who-Lived, must have had her head stuck in a book during the escapades that follow Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy's reigning hate for each other.

'In any case, the two may have thought they were being sneaky, hiding it from all of us, but this reporter has uncovered the truth. Seen here, you have your proof. Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy, masquerading as enemies, but best friend through and through.'

Hermione's eyes were glued to the picture of her and Draco tucked at the bottom of the page beneath the revealing and cruel article. His arm was wrapped around her shoulders lazily as they walked through a muggle park near her home. He would turn to her, say something nobody could hear, and then the two of them would laugh happily before the picture started again.

Draco had come by to see her the summer after their fifth year, spending a week with her and her parents, unbeknownst to his father and mother. She had always remembered the day fondly; as they had truly enjoyed themselves, forgetting all about the worries of the Wizarding world for just one afternoon. They had gone swimming in the lake, camping in the backyard - where Draco constantly told her that mosquitoes were out to get him and no other-, and as the picture was showing, they had picked up a couple ice cream cones and walked through the park with her dog, Helena.

She had no idea how they had managed to find this picture, or why it was only coming out now, but she was filled with an overwhelming sense in her head. Her eyes began to blur; she wasn't sure if it was from tears or complete dizziness as the truth had finally come out. Her mouth opened and closed in a fish gasping for air motion. The first rational thought that came to her head was to deny it completely, but a picture was worth a thousand words and the only one that came out of hers was an apologetic plea of her other best friend's name. "Harry," she gasped, choking on the one word.

"Don't," he said, standing up from the table and practically running out of the Great Hall.

Ron glared at her before following him out.

Placing her hands on the table in front of her, Hermione tried to steady her spinning world. She could hardly swallow and she was fairly sure that she was going to pass out if something didn't happen to pull her out of her shocked state. Licking her lips, she glanced up to see practically everyone in the Hall staring at her; confusion, suspicion, and disgust marring their faces. Feeling a sob rising in her throat, she clamped her mouth shut to stop it from escaping her. Her eyes burned with unshed tears causing her to fear that she was about to let the entire school see her break.

Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Hermione looked up to see Draco's silver eyes staring down at her understandingly. Looking around them, his eyes thinned to glare at anyone who so much as thought of staring at them. Holding his hand out for her to take, he waited until her small slip of a palm slipped into his, before walking towards the doors.

Curling against him, she practically wrapped her arms around him for stability when they were away from the glaring eyes of their schoolmates. Letting her tears slide down her face, she buried her face against his side as he ran his hand up and down her back. Hurrying through the halls, they walked into the Head common room and collapsed on the couch.

"How did they know?" she asked, shaking her head.

"I don't know," Draco replied, his fist curling and releasing. "And where the bloody hell did they get those pictures?"

"There was more than one?" Hermione asked, her mouth dropping and her eyes widening.

Nodding, Draco pulled the magazine out of his pocket. "Page four," he said, handing it to her.

Flipping to said page, Hermione watched as numerous pictures of them stared out at her. One of them in fifth year, after she had been injured in the fight at the Department of Mysteries and he had snuck in to see her in the Hospital Wing late at night. Where he sat beside her, holding her hand and telling her jokes to lighten the mood. Another where they danced away from everyone during Slughorn's Christmas party, outside of the crowd, but near enough to hear music. A third involving them during the summer that had just passed, when she and Draco had gone to a carnival in town. Draco had freaked out when a man in a large suit had chased him around asking for a hug. It ended with him holding Hermione in front of him and trying to dodge the man inside the outfit. Lastly, one that had been taken only a few weeks prior, involving Hermione and Draco after he finished a Quidditch game. He had his arms wrapped around her waist as he twirled her around in the air, grinning at his win.

"How the-" Sighing, Hermione shook her head, leaning forward she buried her face in her hands. "What... What do we do now?" she asked, looking up at him.

Running his hand over her back to calm her down, Draco shrugged his shoulders. "We face them," he said, turning to her. "There's no way we can pretend we're not friends any more," he said, sighing. "You know, I wanted people to know, but I really didn't want it to happen like this."

Nodding, Hermione glared down at the pictures capturing moments between them that were now tainted.

"Half of those pictures don't even capture my good side," he joked.

Unable to stop her chuckle, she rolled up the magazine and hit him with it.

Laughing, he pulled it from her hands and smoothed it out. Biting his lip, he glared at Skeeter's words. "I'd hardly call us '_unforgivable_' or '_cheating traitors_'," he said, frowning. Turning to her, he wrapped his hand around her shoulder and squeezed is reassuringly. "Don't worry, once you talk to Potter and the Weasel, they'll understand."

"How can they understand?" she asked, turning to him with watery eyes. "I've lied to them for two years, Draco. They probably think I'm an informant for the other side or something," she said, mournfully.

"Then you've been doing a foul job," he said, pulling her closer. "I can talk to them if you want," he offered.

"And get yourself killed?" she asked, shaking her head. "No, then I'd be completely friendless."

"Well, as long as we're not thinking only of our selves," he teased, smiling down at her.

"How can you take this so calmly?" she asked, grimacing.

Shrugging, he leaned back. "I've wanted us to come out as friends for awhile now, but there's always been something in our way. Now, we have no control over it." Sighing, he cupped her chin and turned her face to his. "Look, they want to see us squirm, they want to hear us deny it, but we won't. We're friends, Hermione. Best friends," he emphasized. "Have been for years," he reminded. "There's no way I'm going to let a bunch of nosy kids who are all much less intelligent and unbelievably less attractive than us, deter us from being friends."

Chuckling slightly, Hermione leaned back and placed her head against his shoulder. "So tomorrow we walk out of here with our heads held high," she said, nodding. "And we don't let any of them even consider for a moment that we're weak."

"Because we aren't," he said, hugging her tightly. "If they want to gossip about us, let them. We know **how** we really are; we know **who** we really are. And there's nothing they can do or say that is ever going to break us apart," he vowed.

"DRACIE!" Pansy's loud, high pitched scream echoed through the room.

"Ugh," Hermione groaned, rolling her eyes. "Have fun with that discussion," she said, making a break for her room.

Glaring at her back, Draco ran a hand through his hair in frustration and walked towards the portrait hole. "I'll remember your overwhelming support when you need to talk to the Boy-Who-Lived-To-Annoy-Me and the Weasel," he shouted to her running body.

Laughing, she waved before disappearing behind her door, locking it quickly.

Sighing, Draco pulled open the portrait door, steadying himself for a loud, angry screaming fit of sobbing and confusing rambling's. Pansy stood waiting in front of him, her arms were crossed and her pug-face was already twisted into an expression of indignation. Her bottom lip stuck out, trembling as she stared at him through thin, vicious eyes.

"Come on in, Pans," he said without emotion, gesturing his arm out for her to follow. Shaking his head, he heard her huff, and knew it was going to be a long night.

* * *

**A/N**_ I couldn't help it! lol. I really wanted to write another chapter and everything just sort of flowed while I did this. I hope you enjoyed it. This doesn't mean any of my attention has been taken from, "**Blood Is Thicker Than Tears**," it's still very much my top priority. Please review, it's greatly appreciated._

_**-Amanda**_


	3. Deal WIth It

**_Growing_**

_Chapter Two_

_Deal With It_

Hermione sighed at hearing the annoying voice of Pansy reaching her ears, in all of its high-pitched, annoying, eardrum ringing glory. Picking up one of her many gigantic books, she held it against her legs as she laid back on her bed. Her mind couldn't focus however, with the noise that evaded her every sense. Closing her book, she rolled over on to her stomach, placing her pillow over her ears, closing her eyes, and humming loudly.

She couldn't help but think that Draco could do much better than the pug-faced, irritating Slytherin. It was really all Lucius' fault that his son was stuck with such an abomination of a girl. Why he was so bent on making Draco's life a living hell, Hermione didn't know. It wasn't as if Draco did anything to royally anger Lucius; he earned the second highest grades in the entire school, just because she outdid him by a very tiny bit shouldn't mean anything. Of course, a Malfoy can't be outdone by anyone, especially someone who isn't a pure-blood.

Plus, Draco continued to try and make Harry's life just a tad bit less enjoyable each day with his annoying commentary. Hermione had tried to ask him to tone it down, but the one week he did, Lucius sent him a letter promising extreme pain if his duties weren't picked up to double by the end of the next week. Thus causing Hermione never to ask Draco to stop again.

Quidditch was something else completely; it wasn't as if Lucius really cared for the game, he just understood that Draco was being beaten by Harry, which was unacceptable. Though Draco wasn't exactly keen on cheating, his team wasn't easily told to stop and it continued. It wasn't as if their cheating really did anything for the team though, because Harry continued to be a better Quidditch player. Though this fact irked Draco, Hermione knew it wasn't really because he hated Harry, but more envied him than anything. Not because he was popular, or talented, but because he was fighting for something greater than him, than everyone.

Harry, though never having met his parents, had a deep and loving connection with them. The only connection Draco had with his father was when he was pleading with him to stop beating him. His mother, though kindhearted, was unable to truly help Draco in anyway. She kept to herself most days, sending letters while he was away to remind him she loved him, but the moment he was home, she acted as if she didn't care. Were Lucius to know that Narcissa was filling Draco with anything but hate, she too would be subjected to the pain her son faced often.

If Lucius found out that Draco's best friend was actually a muggleborn, Hermione couldn't imagine the agony that would be induced on Draco. That's to say, if he were even allowed to keep living. Lucius Malfoy was a very cruel, manipulative, hateful man, who had no problem beating his son for so much as smiling instead of smirking. Hermione prayed that Lucius didn't bother with a magazine like Rita Skeeter's, or that any of his Death Eater friends had picked it up, otherwise Draco's life was in more danger than possibly Harry's. Given that Lucius could simply walk onto Hogwarts property without being attacked on sight, he could easily get to Draco.

They had been lucky in the past, over two years and nobody had taken notice of the fact that they were friends. She remembered the first time he came to visit for the summer, it had been odd at first, but she found herself having a wonderful time in his company. They had become friends around the middle of fourth year, so they were pretty used to each other. Draco hadn't experienced the muggle world however, so he was quite confused by most things.

"Mum, dad, we have to go," Hermione called from the front door. "He's going to think we forgot all about him," she said, sighing.

"Hermione, dear, he's not due to arrive for another half hour," her mother said, passing her by as she walked to the closet for her shoes. "He's still on the train, enjoying the scenery and such."

"I doubt he's enjoying the scenery, he's probably wondering when a sweets trolley is going to pass," she mumbled, smiling.

Pulling on his jacket, Hermione's father took a bite of his bagel. "Why is he arriving so early?" he asked again, rubbing his eyes. "I mean, I don't even get up this early for work," he told them, yawning.

"His father sent him late into the night, thinking he'd be arriving around mid-afternoon," she explained, shrugging.

"Why would he think that?" Mrs. Granger wondered, slipping on a sweater.

"Well," she said, biting her lip.

"Hermione," her father chastised. "Exactly what have you forgotten to tell us about your friend?"

Crossing her arms, Hermione sighed. "It's a really long story," she said, wishing she had just said, Draco had to catch a late train because it was the only one available.

"Well," her mom said, opening the door and ushering them out. "We have a half hour for you to tell us," she said, smiling.

Dragging her feet to the car, Hermione climbed in the back and explained Draco's past to them. She admitted that they used to hate each other, but things had changed recently and it was all put behind them. She didn't go into detail about Draco's father, feeling he really wouldn't want people to know about his beatings. But she did tell them that he hated muggleborn's and half-bloods, being an advocate for Voldemort and pure-blooded rulers. However, she explained very adamantly that Draco did not feel that way at all and had no ill feelings towards people of any kind. She did warn them that he didn't know much about the muggle world though, so he'd likely find things rather odd, even if they made perfect sense to them.

Upon arriving at the train station, both of her parents were slightly surprised at the story but decided they'd reserve judgement until they met her new friend. Understanding what they meant, Hermione hopped out of the back and hurried towards the waiting area to see if he'd arrived. They had been caught in traffic early on, so he'd probably just be pulling into the station. Carefully running around people, Hermione jumped in the area to see over their heads. Finally getting outside to that platform, she found a train and people scurrying around her quickly. Her eyes darted around, trying to see his platinum blonde hair somewhere.

Jumping as high as she could, she was still too short. Running to a bench, she climbed up and scanned the tops of heads. Draco was at least 6 feet tall, so she wasn't worried about him being too short to notice. Finally, she noticed a blonde head bobbing amongst the many people around him. He was looking around, lifting his ticket and checking the sign to see if he was sure he was in the right place.

Grinning, Hermione shouted his name. "Draco!" she called a few times, waving her hands above her head trying to get his attention.

Finally, he found where his name was being called from and smiled up at her. Making his way through the crowd toward her, he dropped his suitcase by his legs when he found her hopping down from the bench. Hugging her tightly, he looked around. "That was the weirdest train ride in the history of train rides," he told her, shaking his head. Pulling back, he sighed. "There was no sweets trolley, just this woman with dry peanuts and really old looking sandwiches," he told her, his eyes wide.

Laughing, Hermione patted his arm in condolence.

"And there was this funny looking man sitting across from me, his hair kept slipping off while he fell asleep and tickling his nose. So he'd startle awake, grumble and move his hair back on," he explained, shaking his head.

Chuckling slightly, she watched him talk.

"There was this girl sitting with us too, she was pretty young. She kept chewing on something and making large bubbles. Once, it popped all over her face and got stuck in her hair. She started screaming and her mother came in and tore her away, shouting about 'gum' and 'cutting all her hair off.'" His eyes widened as he grimaced.

Nodding, she pulled him towards the exit.

Lifting his suitcase, he began following her out. "Then this other guy, he was about my age, he stopped by and opened his jacket, which was filled with these awful looking watches. He kept telling me they were top of the line, and asking me if I wanted one." Frowning, he shook his head. "Of course, I told him I had too much taste for a piece of broken garbage. So you know what he did?" he asked, not waiting for her to answer. "He opened the other side of his jacket, revealing a whole lot of necklaces. Cheap, I might add. He tells me that I'm obviously on my way to see a girl and that the best greeting would be with a gift of some sort." Snorting, he cocked his eyebrow. "So I told him, if I were going to get you a necklace, I'd obviously buy it somewhere much better than from some cheap, smelly kid."

Laughing, Hermione watched his face as the emotions just ran over it. Even excitement crossed his face, as if he was telling a tale of something extraordinarily different. So much so, that it was an adventure of colossal terms. "So what did he say?"

"Well, he muttered some swear words at me and then tried to wake up the man with the moving hair," Draco told her with a sigh. "Who startled awake and tried to beat the boy away with his cane," he said, smiling before a grimace flitted over his features.

"Well," she said, reaching out and linking her arm with his. "I can almost guarantee that nobody is going to try and sell you anything cheap from here on," she said. "Nor will anyone be warned at getting all their hair cut off. There won't be a sweets trolley either, but I will introduce you to some muggle candy, of which I'm sure you'll enjoy."

Nodding, Draco began smiling again. "So how are we getting back to your place?" he wondered, looking around. "Is there a private car of some sort?"

"In a way," she replied, trying not to chuckle. "My parents will drive us back," she told him.

"Your parents?" he asked, paling slightly. "They drove you all the way out here?"

"It was only a thirty minute drive," she told him, nodding. "They were happy to do it."

Tugging on his collar, Draco looked around worried. "What if they don't like me?" he asked, quietly.

"I'm sure they'll love you," she told him, reassuringly.

"I don't know," he said, gulping. "I haven't had the best luck with parents."

Shaking her head, Hermione noticed they were reaching the area her father had parked in. "Well, you haven't met my parents." Stopping, before they met the car, she looked up at him. "Trust me," she told him. "Be yourself and I'm sure they'll like you."

Inhaling deeply, he nodded. "Alright," he said.

Continuing walking, she could see her parents standing by the trunk, talking. Her mother's eyes lifted first, a smile spilled onto her face happily. Nudging her husband, he soon looked over to see them coming closer. Standing up straight, he pulled the trunk open and smiled at them.

Stopping before them, Draco held his hand out to them. "Pleased to meet you," he said, smiling lightly. "I'm Draco Malfoy."

Hermione's mother reached out, taking his hand. "Jane Granger," she replied. "My, aren't you polite," she said, nodding. "And handsome too."

Clearing his throat, Draco blushed lightly. Hermione's father took his hand next.

"Henry," he said, shaking the boy's hand approvingly. "How was your train ride, son?" he wondered. Reaching down, he took Draco's bag and placed it in the back.

"Uh, it was... interesting," Draco replied.

Hermione smiled as they walked to sit down in the car. Jane turned back to talk to them, while Henry drove away from the train station, mumbling about traffic as they got stuck behind a line of cars picking up people.

"Why don't we go out for breakfast?" Jane asked, patting her husband's shoulder. "I'm sure Draco here is mighty hungry," she said, glancing back at him.

"Oh, I don't want to impose," Draco said, shaking his head, but his stomach grumbled at the mention of food.

"No really," Jane said, nodding. "It's no trouble. Henry and I don't have to be at work for another hour or so," she told him. "And you mustn't of eaten for quite some time."

"Well, I had some peanuts," Draco replied, running his hand through his ungelled hair as it dangled near his eye.

"That settles it then," Henry said, nodding. "The train ride must've been rather long and all he's had is peanuts," he said, shaking his head. "You'll have a hearty meal this morning, my boy."

Draco didn't know how to reply, so he glanced at Hermione as she held a hand over her mouth, stifling a laugh. "Thank you, sir," he said, nudging Hermione.

Composing herself, Hermione smiled at him. "I hope you brought swimming trunks," she told him, her eyes widening with excitement. "I really want to go swimming. The weather is getting incredibly warm and the Lake is just down from my house."

Draco tipped his head in thought. "I don't know what I packed," he replied. "I just sort of threw everything I could find into my bag. I was in a hurry," he told her, shrugging. "Father didn't give me much time to get it all ready," he said, frowning.

"Well," Hermione said, patting his hand. "I'm sure if you don't have any, we can go to the Mall and pick some up."

"What's the Mall?" he wondered, frowning. "It doesn't sound pleasant."

Laughing, Henry nodded. "It isn't when you're stuck with a bunch of women who want nothing more than to visit every little thing. Takes hours to get out," he said, shaking his head. "And the parking," he grumbled. "You can never find a good place."

Hermione chuckled. "It's rather like Hogsmeade, but all of the stores are inside," she explained. "And there are tons more places to go and buy things."

Draco nodded slowly. "Doesn't sound so bad," he said.

"Wait until Hermione brings you there," Jane said, shaking her head. "You'll be lucky if you can tear her away from the book store."

"Mum," Hermione said with a sigh. "Between the both of you, he'll never believe the Mall could be fun."

Laughing, Henry pulled into a restaurant and turned the car off. "Best warn him now," he told her, nodding. "Don't want him walking in with a false sense of security."

Rolling her eyes, Hermione closed her door and walked around the car to walk with Draco inside. Her parents walked ahead of them, chatting. Looking up at him, she smiled. "See, they're not so bad."

Shaking his head, Draco smiled slightly. "No, they actually seem quite nice. Easy to get along with too," he said, nodding.

Hermione felt like he was almost upset that they weren't angry, vicious people. Likely because he didn't like knowing that he really got stuck with a bad father, while she was with a very loving family. Reaching out, she took his hand and squeezed it. "We're going to have a lot of fun this summer," she promised.

His mouth slowly broke out in a grin. "The best time possible," he agreed. "Even if I'm only here a week," he said, sighing.

"Well, it'll be the best week then," she said, nodding.

Walking through the doors, they walked to the booth her parents were sitting in and slid in. Draco sat against the wall, feeling a little out of place in the crowded restaurant. Opening the menu, his eyes scanned over the food happily. After ordering, Hermione's father asked Draco what kinds of things he participated in at school.

"I play Quidditch," Draco told them, smiling.

"You remember what Quidditch is, don't you?" Hermione asked, looking at her parents. "I told you all about it. It's a very important game in the Wizarding world," she said, quiet enough so others wouldn't hear them. "Draco has the most important place on the team," she said, grinning.

"I'm the seeker," he said, nodding, but slightly blushing at the compliment.

"Oh yes," Henry said, nodding happily. "I remember now. Seeker, wow! Good work," he said in congratulations.

"Yes, must be quite the accomplishment," Jane said, smiling. "Your parents must be very proud of you."

Draco busied himself with drinking his juice so he didn't have to reply about his parents.

"Well, I know I'm proud," Hermione said, grinning. "He's a wonderful player," she said, nodding. "Quick too."

Their food arrived, set down in front of each person. Draco thanked the woman politely and was surprised when she seemed to blush at him. Hermione rolled her eyes, cutting open her eggs and turning them over on her hashbrown's so the yoke drained over them.

"And what about your studies?" Jane asked, slicing her pancake up slowly.

Swallowing a bite of his omelette, Draco wiped his mouth with his napkin politely. "Nobody could outdo your daughter in that category," he replied. "But I have pretty good grades."

"Don't be modest," Hermione said, shaking her head. "Really, his grades are the second highest in the school," she told them, noddng. "I really must be careful, or soon he'll be outdoing me."

"Yeah, as soon as you start flying," he replied, rolling his eyes.

"Oh please," Hermione replied, chuckling.

"You don't fly?" Jane asked, not entirely understanding what was meant.

Shaking his head, Draco smirked. "She's terrified of heights. I can't get her five feet off the ground without her screaming my ear off."

"It's not that bad," Hermione said, frowning.

"It's that bad," Draco told her parents, nodding.

Laughing, Henry grinned at his daughter and her new friend before returning to his meal.

A short while later, when everyone had finished and the bill was paid, they left the restaurant and slipped back into the car. Jane decided to drive this time and they made their way back to the house. Draco watched out the window as they passed numerous stores and houses on the way. Finally, they pulled up to Hermione's two-storey white home, where Helena was jumping around the front yard in excitement.

Getting out of the car, Hermione hurried over to her dog and pet it happily. "Come on, girl," she said, motioning for her to follow.

Henry had already taken Draco's suitcase with him as he and his wife walked into the house. Draco stood against the car, waiting for Hermione. The excited brown, black, and white beagle ran over and sniffed Draco's pants before hopping up and panting at him with what looked like a smile. Reaching down, Draco pet it and scratched behind the dog's ears.

"She likes you," Hermione said, kneeling and running her hand up and down Helena's back.

"She doesn't like many?" Draco asked, lifting a brow.

"No, she's actually rather picky," she replied, standing up. "Come on, I'll show you your room and then we can check your suitcase for swimming trunks," she said, motioning to him as she walked to her house.

Following her in, Draco smiled down at Helena, who waved her tail and hung around beside his legs. They went upstairs, where she opened her door to reveal her simple bedroom and then crossed the hall to show him his. The spare bedroom was quite nice and Draco had no qualms about staying in it. Though he did offer to stay on the couch when they first said he had his own room, since he didn't want to be in the way if they had other guests.

Hermione grabbed his suitcase and popped it open, she laughed at the disarray it was in. Pulling out all of his crisp white shirts, now wrinkled, she grabbed hangers from the closet and hung them up, hoping they would straighten out. Folding his black dress pants, she placed them in the dresser by the wall, a drawer up from where she placed his t-shirts. Looking around a little more, she was surprised by a few items of clothes. "You brought jeans," she told him amused.

"Did I?" he asked, looking over, unfazed by the fact that she was not only going through his things, but putting them away.

Nodding, she held a few pairs out. "I didn't even know you owned jeans," she said, smiling.

"Only a few pairs," he said, nodding. "Which I brought, I guess."

Emptying out the last of his clothes, Hermione held them out. "Well," she said, sighing. "You have enough boxers to last you until the end of the summer," she told him, chuckling. "But no swimming trunks." Walking to the dresser, she slipped his boxers in and closed the drawer.

Smirking, Draco shrugged. "I was in a hurry," he said.

"This just means we'll have to go to the Mall," she said, nodding. "Maybe mum and dad will let me take the other car," she said, thoughtfully.

"You can drive?" he asked, sitting up with surprise.

Nodding, Hermione crossed her arms. "I'm fifteen already," she told him. "But I just got my license a few weeks ago. Don't get me wrong, I can drive perfectly fine. It's dad who has a problem with it, he thinks he roads are out to eat up new drivers."

Chuckling, Draco stood up from the bed. "Well, let's go ask. If not, you can show me the wonders of a muggle bus," he said, slightly excited by the idea.

"Crowds, bossy drivers, sticky seats, and all while stuck in a stuffy box, hmm, tempting," she said, rolling her eyes and walking out the door and down the stairs. "Daddy," she called out.

"Uh oh Jane, she wants something," her father said, loud enough for her to hear.

Laughing, Draco followed her through the swinging door to the clean, white kitchen. Her father was sitting at the island in the center, reading the newspaper. Her mother was scurrying around, looking for something.

"What is it dear?" her mother wondered.

"Can I take the other car out today?" she asked, smiling her adorable grin that always made her parents melt and give her what she wanted. "I'll be extra careful," she promised. "Draco didn't bring anything to go swimming in," she said, sadly.

Sighing, Henry just about gave in, before his wife walked over and crossed her arms. "I don't know," she said, speculatively. "Malls are rather busy," she said, unsure.

"Not this early," Hermione said, shaking her head. "And we won't be long, we'll likely be out before anybody even thinks of going to the Mall."

"It'll be easier to find a parking space this early too," Henry said, nodding. "Why don't we ever go this early?" he wondered.

"Because we're never up this time in the morning and we have work," Jane replied, shaking her head.

"Oh right," Henry said, nodding. Looking up, he glanced back and forth between Hermione and Draco. "Well, since it's early, I see no harm in it. Be quick though. Swimming trunks and then get yourselves home," he said, nodding.

"Thank you," she said, running over and pressing a kiss against each of their cheeks. Grabbing Draco's hand, she pulled him out of the kitchen, grabbed the keys and hurried towards the double garage. Rubbing her hands together, she smirked. "No bus for us," she said, happily.

Unlocking the doors, they slipped in and she backed out carefully. The drive over was pretty uneventful, though Draco asked a lot of questions about basically everything. He wanted to bring Helena along but was turned off by the idea of her having to sit in the car the entire time. Parking the car in the almost empty lot, Hermione directed him to the front doors and hurried inside, her eyes were lit up with excitement.

Tugging on his hand, she pointed out virtually every store to him, it took them awhile to finally make it to the clothing store. She picked out a wide variety of shorts for him to try on; all of them would reach to his knees and were bright with Hawaiian flowers and such. Hermione decided to look for a new bathing suit while he tried his shorts on. Finally, they walked over and paid for their items before Hermione convinced him to go to the book store.

"Just for a minute," she said, pleadingly.

Rolling his eyes, he agreed and she pulled him towards her favorite place with excitement. On the way, however, they were stopped by someone Hermione knew. She hadn't let go of Draco's hand, not noticing how it might look as it was a normal occurrence. Said girl who stopped them wasn't one of Hermione's closer friends, she was really more of an acquaintance. Hermione was fairly sure she only stopped them because her eyes caught Draco and just 'needed' to know him.

Looking up at him, she wasn't all that surprised that girls tended to be attracted to him. With his silvery eyes and soft blonde hair. Plus he was tall and quite strong looking, all those years practicing and playing Quidditch had paid off for him. He was easily one of the most handsome boys at Hogwarts, let alone of any Hermione had ever seen. Though his reputation of being mean always kept him from being considered the perfect guy at school, he was still known as being incredibly good looking.

"Hi," the girl said, holding out her hand. "I'm Gwyn," she said, grinning a saucy smile.

"Draco," he replied, taking her hand with his free one.

"Where are you two headed?" she asked, looking around at the shops surrounding them. "This is a rather boring part of the Mall," she said, chuckling. "I mean, who puts a book store in a Mall?" she asked, snorting. "They should replace it with a clothing store or something." Her eyes hadn't left Draco's, seemingly mesmerized.

Hermione felt rather embarrassed; she hated it when people made fun of her liking books. No matter which world, muggle or Wizarding, people thought it odd that she was so infatuated with knowledge and reading. It wasn't a crime, she truly loved absorbing everything another insightful person wrote down. She loved reading and all that it possessed.

"Well," Draco said, Hermione could already hear the annoyance rising in his voice. He was about to say something rude, she could always tell when it was coming. "Maybe if you spent less time on your appearance and playing with your hair, you'd actually be able to read. Then, a bookstore would look like a good idea. But seeing as that isn't going to happen any time in the future, why don't you just run off and paint your nails! Us intelligent people, have better things to get to. Like going to a bookstore for reasons you obviously wouldn't be able to comprehend," he said, pulling Hermione away before the girl could reply.

Laughing, Hermione glanced back at the offended girl who stomped away angrily. "That was wonderful," Hermione said, nodding. "Sometimes, I absolutely love your mean side."

Chuckling, Draco shrugged. "I couldn't help it. Please tell me not all muggle's are that indifferent to knowledge."

Shaking her head, Hermione walked over to a bookshelf. "No, you just happened to run into a Barbie."

"A Barbie?" Draco asked, confused.

"One of those girls who tends to be more obsessed with boys and their appearance than growing an intelligent thought in their head," she replied, pulling out a book.

"Oh," he replied, drawing it out. "Like Patil and Brown? Or the Weasley girl?" he asked, nodding.

Laughing, Hermione nodded. "Can't forget Parkinson," he said, grinning.

"No, she's definitely a Barbie," Draco said, walking around with his hands in his pockets.

After Hermione bought a few things, they left the Mall and headed back to her house. The other car wasn't there, so she knew her parents had left for work. Taking their bags inside, Hermione told him to get changed so they could go swimming. A short while later, Draco met her downstairs, wearing a white t-shirt and his light blue and red shorts. Hermione wore a t-shirt and shorts over her bathing suit, while her arm was draped with a towel for each of them. Slipping her sandals on, she grabbed a couple of pops and the leash for Helena.

Locking the door behind them, Hermione handed the dog off to Draco and they walked down the street to an empty beach. Throwing the towel and pops down, she kicked off her sandals and turned to him. "You can take the leash off her, she won't venture far. She'll probably come into the water with us," she said.

Nodding, Draco kneeled down and unclipped the leash from Helena's collar. Scratching her head, he stood up and pulled off his shirt.

Hermione pulled off her extra clothes, revealing her new baby blue tankini, and glanced over at him. She wasn't entirely surprised that he was so toned, she had seen Harry shirtless and Quidditch had done wonders for his body too. She was just slightly thrown off at actually seeing Draco's bare chest, so she ended up turning a light pink shade.

Chuckling, Draco reached out and mussed up her hair. "There you go again, unable to hide your obvious feelings for me. It's alright, Granger, I understand. It's hard to be friends with me and not entirely fall in love," he joked.

Rolling her eyes, Hermione chased him into the water and dunked him. He came up laughing and grabbed her around the waist, tossing her into the rather chilly water. The extremely hot sun had made her skin warm and golden, so the cool water felt deliriously nice. Draco had actually tanned a little, not so much that he would look funny because of his hair. But just to a light shade, making him appear less pale and more of a normal colour. Given that it was nearly August, he must've spent some time outside when he at home.

They played around in the water, splashing each other and chasing one another for awhile. Finally, a few hours later, they collapsed on their towels and sipped their pops. Helena came over and shook herself off, getting water and sand all over them. Draco laughed, before playing fetch with her.

When the beach began filling up, Hermione noticed a lot of girls had taken a liking to staring at Draco. He was still running around with the dog, having a great time. Hermione was happy to see him smiling, without holding back anything. He finally let Helena have the stick and patted her head before walking over and laying back down beside her. Hermione smiled at him, sitting up on her towel and wrapping her arms around her legs. "Having fun?" she asked.

Nodding happily, his breathing was rather quick from all the running. Were he not in such good shape, he'd likely be gasping for air and blue in the face. One of his eyes had closed from the sun hitting him, but he grinned at her all the same. "Beach has been raided, I see," he said, looking around.

Hermione glanced back to see numerous bikini clad women staring at him with flirtatious smiles. "Yup," she said, nodding. "Looks like you're a real hit with the invaders too," she said.

Leaning back on his elbows, Draco shrugged. "I didn't come down to spend time with them," he said, easily.

Feeling herself smile, Hermione couldn't help but feel a surge of triumph that he wasn't interested in anyone else. They could look all they want, but she would have him all to herself for an entire week. It wasn't that she was jealous, really. She just didn't want to share him with a bunch of Barbie's during his visit, yeah that was it.

"Are you hungry?" she asked, covering her eyes with her hand. "We could get an ice cream," she offered.

Sitting up, he grinned. "Sounds good to me," he said. Whistling, he called Helena over and placed the leash on her. Rolling up his towel and slipping his shirt on, he held a hand out to help her up. Slipping her shorts and top back on and grabbing her towel as she stood, she threw it over her arm and started walking up toward the walkway behind the beach. Draco wrapped his arm around her shoulder in a friendly gesture, but Hermione was rather happy to see that the girls behind them looked put off.

After picking up an ice cream cone, they took a walk down the path, leading into a park. Draco's arm sat comfortably around her shoulders still and the leash hung loosely from his hand down to Helena in front of them. A short while later, after the empty cones had been tossed, they stopped at the swings. Hermione sat down and Draco pushed her until she was high in the air. Leaping off out of her seat, she landed on her feet a ways away, laughing. Turning around, she found a slightly shocked Draco shaking his head and walking towards her.

"You won't fly," he said, lifting a brow. "But you'll leap off a moving swing, high in the air, with nothing soft to land on?"

Shrugging her shoulders, she waited for him to catch up to her. Making their way home, Draco put his towel around his neck and played fetch with Helena some more. They stopped in a large field where Draco had accidentally threw the stick a little too far and Helena was lost looking for it behind a cluster of trees. Running over to help her, Hermione laughed and waited off to the side.

A guy, who by society's standards would be considered hot, walked over to her, with sandy brown hair and bright blue eyes. He smiled at her with an air of cockiness. "Hi," he greeted. "I'm Bailey."

"Hermione," she replied, nodding. She wasn't exactly sure why he was there, so she just waited for him to explain; when he didn't go on, she stared at him confused. "Can I help you with something?" she asked, shaking her head slightly.

"Yes," he said, grinning. "See, my friends and I were walking through the park, talking about the lack of attractive girls around. I spotted you, which obviously goes against our claim, since you are completely beautiful, and couldn't stop myself from coming over." His perfect white smile almost made her want to glare. "So I was thinking we could go out sometime." It wasn't a question really, he was more of saying they should.

Snorting, Hermione crossed her arms. "Does that actually work on girls?" she asked, her brow lifting.

Slightly startled, the boy soon found himself nodding. "I must say, usually such pretty girls don't question when a guy like myself asks them out."

"A guy like yourself?" she asked, frowning. "You mean a little too self absorbed for his own good? Too cocky to realize that maybe not every girl on the face of the earth wants to date him?"

Draco appeared then, with Helena by his side and a stick in her mouth. Sidling up next to Hermione, he stared at the boy with suspicion. "Who are you?" he asked, with a rather sharp tone.

Glancing at him, Bailey frowned. "You should keep your girlfriend here on a tight leash," he said, glaring at her. "She tends to bite," he said, rudely.

"Excuse me?" Draco said, stepping closer.

Holding up her hand, Hermione stopped him. "It's okay," she said, shaking her head. "He's just annoyed because I told him he's a self centered prat who thinks he's God's gift to women," she told him.

"You know, you go off on me about thinking I'm too self absorbed, just because I ask you out and assume you'd like it, but you're toting around some pretty boy," Bailey said, snorting. "I'm not the only one who takes looks in, obviously."

"First of all," Hermione said, her temper getting the best of her. "You are completely conceited. Coming over and spouting things about very few attractive girls and how I'm beautiful, so you just had to talk to me. You thought you had such a great chance, just because your mildly good looking, with your perfect teeth and attractive features. At least he," she said, pointing at Draco. "Doesn't walk around hitting on anything with legs, thinking women are some kind of game of how many he can get with before he leaves the park." Breathing heavily, Hermione stepped back.

"I suggest you leave," Draco said, sourly. "Now."

Shaking his head, Bailey glared at both of them before walking off.

"Nice work," Draco said, chuckling.

"My legs are rather wobbly," she admitted. "I didn't mean to yell, but he royally pissed me off."

Wrapping his arm around her waist to keep her steady, Draco walked them out of the park. "I leave for five minutes and you're already being asked out," he said, whistling.

"Shut-up," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.

Later that night, her parents came home and made a delicious dinner. Draco was his usual polite self, thoroughly seeming to enjoy the sense of real family that he was absorbing at the table. Jane took an instant liking to him, often telling him not to call her, "Mrs. Granger," but by her first name. She also winked at Hermione, causing her to roll her eyes. It was obvious that her mother wanted her to date her best friend. Her father also really liked Draco, taking him into the living room to watch a game of football, seeing as they both enjoyed sports.

When they left for bed, Jane pecked Draco on the forehead, telling him to have a good sleep, leaving the boy in stunned silence. Hermione followed him up to his room, where he laid back on his bed, tired from the days events.

"What's wrong?" she wondered, noticing his quiet demeanor.

"She... kissed me goodnight," he replied, quietly.

"If you don't like it, I'll ask her not to," Hermione said, sitting down beside him.

Shaking his head, he sat up on his elbows. "No, that's not it. It's just... it's such a motherly gesture," he said, sighing. "I- I guess I'm not used to it." Looking away from her, he frowned. "It was nice though," Draco told her, nodding. "Really nice."

Leaning in, Hermione hugged him. She understood that he was lacking in the family department and often hated that he wasn't close to either of his parents. Pulling back, she stood up and placed her arms behind her back. "You better get used to it," she said, nodding. "She's a very affectionate mother," she said, smiling. "Meaning, there will be a kiss before she goes to work, a hug whenever you leave the house, and a kiss goodnight," she warned, nodding.

Chuckling, Draco nodded. "Well, I think I can handle that."

"Good," Hermione said, walking to the door.

"Hey," he called out.

Turning back, she waited for him to continue.

"I'm glad you invited me," he said, smiling. "I'm already having one of the best days of my life."

"There are six more to come," she promised. Grinning, she left to her own room, falling back onto her bed with a sigh.

Letting the pillow fall from around her ears, she sighed when she heard nothing but quiet. But her happiness was soon disposed of when she heard Pansy screeching again.

"Dracie!" she screamed. "Are you honestly telling me that your friends with that- that- that garbage?" she shouted, her voice raising a few notches, which Hermione thought was impossible.

"Don't call her that," he replied, fiercely.

Hermione knew that voice, that was his no-nonsense voice. Nobody went against him when he used that voice, no one but her really. He didn't get that mad at anyone unless he knew them well. She'd heard him use it on Crabbe and Goyle, when they had cornered her in a hallway and took her wand from her. He'd used it on Pansy countless times when she wouldn't leave him alone, though Hermione wasn't right there beside them to hear it, she'd pass them by or hear him fighting with her in the Common Room. He was loud and vicious with that tone, it came out sharp and mean, but he just wasn't able to hold it back. He used it a lot when talking about his father and the past, only getting mad with Hermione because she was the one listening to him talk about it.

"B-b-but," she stuttered, now sobbing loudly. "But Draco she's a mudblood," she cried.

A booming noise could be heard and Hermione knew he had thrown something, she flinched slightly but wasn't really scared. Draco had a temper, that was widely known, but he'd never hurt someone unless absolutely necessary.

"What did I just say?" he shouted in question.

"N-N-Not to call her that," she said, her voice shaking. "S-Since when?" she asked. "Since when have you and that... girl been close?"

"A long time," Draco replied, sighing. "Don't think that its going to end either," he told her, warningly. "Just because you show up here crying and the entire school thinks it's a travesty, I don't bloody care what you all think."

"Draco, this can't possibly continue!" she said, shrilly. "You're the Slytherin prince, you have a reputation to uphold!" She stomped in a childish manner, the noise making Hermione snort. "And- And- What will people think of me?" she asked, whining the last part. "My fiance running around with a- a-"

Hermione just about fell of the bed at the term fiance. She had no idea that Lucius had gone so far as to promise Draco as Parkinson's future husband. It left a bad taste in Hermione's mouth and a worried expression on her face. What would it mean if they were to marry?

"Watch yourself, Pansy," he warned. "Another insult and I will personally throw you out the window."

She knew he wouldn't, but Parkinson was likely shaking in the belief that he truly would toss her.

Growling with annoyance, the girl stomped towards the door. "Mark my words, Draco, people are not going to like this. And I will not stand for you being her- her- friend," she spat. "Your father will be hearing from my daddy!"

Hermione rolled her eyes but felt her back go rigid with the possibility. Hearing the portrait close, she slid off the bed and unlocked her door to see how he was doing. Leaning back against the couch, his hand covered his eyes as he sighed. Making her way over, she sat down close beside him and placed her head against his shoulder. Lifting his free arm, he wrapped it around her.

"That went well," he said, sarcastically.

"We both knew that she wouldn't accept it with open arms," she replied, shaking her head. "Do you think she really will write to Lucius?" she asked, quietly.

Draco shrugged, letting her go and sitting up slightly. "I don't care," he said, stiffly.

"He won't be happy, in fact, he'll down right abhor the idea."

Chuckling, Draco shook his head. "Well he'll have to deal with it, just like everyone else." Turning to her, he smiled lightly. "Because I'm not giving you up," he said, sincerely.

Sitting forward, she wrapped her arm around his. "What about when you get married?" she asked, looking away. "Seems you have a fiance."

Swallowing, Draco put his hand over hers. "She'll get over it," he said, shrugging. "Not like I care what she thinks now, nothing's going to change in the future."

Hermione felt a sharp jab in her heart that he hadn't denied her being his wife-to-be. She wasn't exactly sure why it happened, or why she hated the idea of him getting married at all. It was bound to happen, he wasn't going to stay single, though he wasn't really now, forever. Perhaps when the war was over and she and Draco talked to Dumbledore, Draco could get out of marrying Parkinson. Part of her felt good at the possibility, but she knew he'd just end up dating someone else and possibly actually loving them. The idea struck her odd, she wasn't sure how their relationship would change were he to actually be with someone else. At least with Pansy, he didn't care about her and spent most of his time hanging out with Hermione, when she wasn't with her other two best friends. What would it be like if Hermione had to actually share him with someone else? Genuinely disliking the idea, Hermione shook her head and held his arm a little tighter.

"Careful, I might actually need that arm one day," he said, smiling.

Loosening her grip, her smile became rather flustered because of her actions.

"Don't worry," he told her, reading her worry as something else. "Lucius can't do much while I'm here," he assured. "We'll just go see Dumbledore like we were going to."

"Really?" she asked, surprised and relieved at the idea.

"Of course," he said, pulling her up when he stood. "I'm sure he'd like to talk about this anyway. His two brightest students and most hated enemies being best friends, it's like the old fart's dream or something. I swear, when he made us Head boy and girl, he had high hopes that we would create better interhouse relationships."

Laughing, Hermione kept her arm wrapped around his as they walked to the portrait hole. "The halls are likely empty," she said, nodding.

"It doesn't matter," he told her, shaking his head. "They all know, so its not like we can avoid it forever," he reminded. "We can finally be ourselves in public," he said, smiling. "Bet you're missing all the mystery and danger already," he said, referring to her earlier comment.

Shaking her head slowly, she pulled open the door. "No," she said, looking up at him with a grin. "I think I'm going to like us being ourselves much better."

"That's because most of the girls think you've been lucky enough to secretly shag me," he replied, smirking.

Laughing, Hermione shook her head. "If I remember correctly, not even Pansy has had that pleasure."

Shushing her, he covered her mouth as they walked down the hall. "That's one secret that is definitely not getting out," he said, shaking his head. Letting his hand drop, he stared at her seriously.

"Oh honestly, its not like the entire school is going to care if you haven't had sex," she told him, rolling her eyes.

"I have a reputation, Hermione," he said, holding his hand against his chest.

"Yeah, well its not exactly a good one and most of it has probably been flushed down the drain now that you're openly friends with me," she replied, shaking her head.

"Well, I'd still prefer to keep the status of Sex God," he said, nodding. "I'm likely incredible, so why not let them believe that?" he asked, smirking.

Snorting, Hermione rolled her eyes.

"What, you don't think so?" he asked, frowning.

"I didn't say that," she said, shaking her head.

"No, but you snorted," he reminded.

"No, that was a cough," she lied, trying to mimic the sound by coughing.

"It was not," he said, lifting a brow. "Well," he said, sighing. "Now, I'll have to prove it!"

"How can you possibly prove it?" she asked, frowning. "Oh Merlin, unless you have some scheme involving Pansy," she said, making a gagging motion. "I'm not interested," she said, shaking her head.

Grimacing, he shook his head. "No, that's a foul idea."

"Well, then how do you suppose you're going to prove it to me," she asked, shaking her head.

"I'll just have to sleep with you," he said, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"What?" she screeched, stopping in the hallway just before they reached the entrance to Dumbledore's office.

Laughing, Draco turned back to her. "You know," he said, calmly. "If I were joking, this would be plenty funny."

"You mean, you're not joking?" she asked, shaking her head.

Letting her arm go, he placed his hands on them. "Think about it," he told her, nodding. "It makes perfect sense," he said, his brows lifting. "I don't want my first time to be the ugly, cold, mean, stupid-"

"I get the point," she interrupted, holding up her hand.

"And I'm going to have to marry her," he went on, frowning. "I'm not the cheating type," he said, shaking his head. "Well unless you consider my asking you to sleep with me while I'm technically dating her, but that really doesn't count. Because, it's not like I'm married to her yet," he said, shaking his head. "Nor do I love her."

"You don't love me either," she said, shaking her head.

"Yes I do," he said, nodding. "You're my best friend," he went on, smiling. "You're really the only person I love right now. Sure, I'm not in love with you, but I do love you."

Sighing, Hermione crossed her arms and looked around confused.

"Think about it," he asked. "You're not dating anyone right now and it's likely that not a lot of guys are going to approach you now that you're my best friend and considered a traitor to Potter. You love me, don't you?"

Nodding, she looked up at him. "Of course I love you," she said, biting her lip. "But this is a huge decision Draco."

"I'm not asking you to shag me right here," he said, shaking his head. "Think it over, we have until the end of the year."

"The end of the year?" she asked, her brow furrowing.

"Father has the wedding planned for next summer and before you bite my head off about not telling you, it slipped my mind when I was telling you about his letter earlier," he explained. "I swear it won't be just some unfeeling one night stand thing," he said, nodding. "It'll be... special."

"You've really given this thought, haven't you?" she asked, looking him in the eyes.

Sighing, he shrugged. "Ever since Pansy started pressuring me to sleep with her," he admitted.

"Draco!" she half-shouted. "That was back in the beginning of sixth year!"

Shuffling his feet, he shrugged. "Well, I didn't want to sleep with her," he admitted. "Ever, really. But now that I know I'm going to have to, I really don't want her to be my absolute first," he said, his face reddening slightly. "I mean, that's supposed to be special," he said, quietly.

"Alright," she said, nodding. Noticing his excited expression, she shook her head. "Alright I'll think about it, not alright I'll do it."

Losing a bit of his excitement, he still grinned. "Good enough for me, now let's go talk to the old man," he said.

"You can't tell my father about this!" she screeched.

Laughing, Draco shook his head. "Why would I ask your father permission to sleep with you?" he asked, clearly amused. "Honestly, I think Henry would even kill **_me_** if I asked," he said, chuckling. "I meant Dumbledore," he said, motioning.

Blushing profusely, she smacked his arm. "Shut up," she grumbled.

They walked over to the statue covering the entrance and said as many sweets they could think of until it finally opened for them. Inhaling deeply, they made their way up to the steps and waited while it rose. Walking to his door, they knocked on it. Hearing their Headmaster tell them they could enter, they walked through to a surprising sight.

**

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**A/N** _I couldn't help writing another chapter, I'm bad that way. I'll be working on "_**_Blood Is Thicker Than Tears_**"_though and will hopefully have another chapter ready by tomorrow. I hope you enjoyed this. Please review! Thanks for reading._

**_-Amanda_**


	4. Not So Subtle

**Thank you to the following reviewers of **_Prologue__Fan of Harry Potter, me, Bboop, Miri, skyleia, Never Forget xl3_ and _especially **galloping-goose**_.

**Thank you to the following reviewers of** _Chapter One -_ _**Past and Present**_: _Dizi 85, Melissa, Shanterria Draconia Malfoy, Never Forget xl3, gyrlfriend, cheeky splash, ruckfules, Lovelylady90, pureplecrazy2291, Hyuga Kyuuketsuki, BlackRosePoison, mskiti,** mind**_y, **_Abraxnia, Miss Vix _**and _especially_**_galloping-goose_**.

**Thank you to the following reviewers of** _Chapter Two -_ _**Deal With It**_: _frackandbonechick, mskiti, Miss Vix, Pyrope, purplecrazy2291, Melissa, RedRoseGrave, votehermione, triquetraperson, Sahariah,_**dan-lovr, harryluver, outkasthpfanatic, mindy, HelloLonely, Abraxnia**, and _especially_** galloping-goose**

**_Growing_**

_Chapter Three_

_Not So Subtle_

Draco felt Hermione's grasp around his arm tighten, his heart nearly stopped at the sight of who was standing in front of him. The cold silver eyes that stared at him had been known to set fear in him many times in the past, and the regal manner he stood with usually caused Draco to try standing more straight. "Father," Draco said, a hint of surprise in his voice.

"Draco," he replied, with a curt nod. His eyes drifted away from him to Hermione, thinning dramatically. "So, this is the mud-" Clearing his throat, he caught himself, "muggle girl you've been fraternizing with," he said, walking forward.

His long, black cane was held tightly in his grasp against his side; for a moment, Draco worried that he'd be foolish enough to strike one of them in the presence of Dumbledore. His white-blonde hair was pushed behind his wide shoulders, making his head appear larger and more menacing. Two snakes winding around each other with green glittering eyes clasped his heavy dark cloak, over his black suit and white collar.

Lifting his gloved hand, Lucius Malfoy pressed the silver open mouthed snake head atop his cane under Hermione's chin, raising her face to his. He sneered down at her, his eyes flashing dangerously. "You can see the lack of good blood all over her," he said, quietly, his eyebrow raising.

Pulling Hermione behind him, Draco stepped up and faced his father, feeling his palms sweat instantly. "Why are you here?" he asked, his face was unemotional, not wanting to give anything away.

Lucius' lip lifted in disgust, before he turned back to Dumbledore. "I was just discussing your return home for a few days," he announced. "As it is, with all of this news circulating around about your... new friend, your mother has grown weary and worries greatly of your health." Glancing back at him, he sent a cold glare at Draco. "She worries that perhaps The Dark Lord's followers will not take kindly to your new found allegiance."

"I'm fine," Draco said, briskly. Turning his attention to Dumbledore, he swallowed. "Sir," he said, taking Hermione's hand and pulling her with him as he avoided his father, walking straight to the Headmaster's desk. "If you haven't already made your decision, I'd really prefer to stay at school," he said, his eyes pleading for understanding.

"Draco," Lucius called out in a warning tone.

"Really father," he said, turning back. "I know you're concerned, but I think I'm safer here," he told him, pointedly.

Lucius opened his mouth to say something, but Dumbledore raised his hand to stop him. "No, Mr. Malfoy, I believe the boy is right. For now, I think it's best if young Draco here stays at school, under the watchful eyes of his professors," he said, nodding. "Perhaps he'll return during Christmas break," he said, a small smile lifting his mouth.

"I expect he will," Lucius said, darkly. "You will be receiving word from me soon, Draco," his father said, staring at him with vicious eyes. He turned to Hermione, his eyes running over her before he sneered. Loping to the door, he made sure that she noticed him wiping his cane off on his robe.

After the door closed, Hermione let out a deep breath and lifted her hand to place on Draco's arm in a calming motion. "I can't believe you did that," she said, shaking her head.

Draco, who could feel himself paling visibly, stumbled back to a chair and covered his face with his hand. "Neither can I," he said, lowly. "Merlin, he's going to kill me."

Dumbledore rose from his chair, staring down at them over his half-moon glasses. "May I ask what it is you came to speak to me about?" he queried, offering them his bowl of lemon drops.

Waving her hand in a 'no' motion to the sweet, she sat down in a chair beside Draco and sighed. "As we're sure you already know, Draco and I have been friends for some time," she began, clasping her hands together in her lap tightly. "You see, we only kept it a secret for the welfare of each other," she explained, her eyebrows raising to ask if he understood. "Draco's family is well known for its connection with Voldemort and I'm not only muggleborn but I'm, or I was, Harry's best friend," she said, biting her lip. "We never meant to deceive people, we were just worried that if anybody found out, either of us could become a target."

"It's understandable," Dumbledore said, nodding.

"No, you don't-" Stopping, she blinked a few times. "I'm sorry, did you just say it was understandable?"

Smiling lightly, Dumbledore walked around his desk to stand between them, resting a palm on each of their shoulders. "You know, I had always hoped you two would be the students who would cause better interhouse relations," he told them.

Snorting, Draco lifted his hand, staring at Hermione with an I-told-you-so look.

"It was widely discussed amongst the professors here as to how the both of you would end up effecting the school," Dumbledore told them. "Severus believed you would end up blowing Hogwarts up with one of your many fights, Sybil said she had a vision of the two of you gathering the Houses together during a much needed time of battle, and Minerva thought you'd be the first witch and wizard to marry secretly before the year was out," he told them.

Draco sputtered, glancing up at his Headmaster with a look of pure shock. "Secretly marry?" he asked, his thoughts of it being ridiculous quite obvious.

"Yes, I told her it was quite unrealistic but she'd been reading muggle romance novels for a study lately," he said, nodding.

"Professor MacGonagall? Reading a romance novel? That's rubbish," Hermione said, shaking her head with disbelief.

"We're not even dating," Draco said, his eyes wide while he focused on the fact that someone thought they were actually going to get married. "I mean, I have a girlfriend. Not a very good one, but still. Everyone knows I'm with Pansy," he said, almost talking to himself.

"Yes, well people didn't know the two of you were friends, so really, it wasn't that absurd to believe you were also dating," Dumbledore told him.

"I'm only seventeen," Draco said, sourly. "Not that it matters, I'm scheduled to get married some time in June unfortunately," he muttered.

"Congratulations," Dumbledore said, walking back to his chair, sitting down, and leaning forward. "Now, did you just come to explain your secret friendship, or was there more I could help you with?"

"Yes," Hermione said, sitting forward. "Draco would like to talk to you about something very important."

"It's a rather large leap too," Draco said, his eyes far off. "I mean, enemies to secretly married. I bet she made the decision before she even knew we were friends," he continued, shaking his head. "It wouldn't be the worst thing, I wouldn't have to marry Pansy," he reminded himself, smiling brightly at the idea. Turning to Hermione, he opened his mouth to say something but she cut him off with a look. "Right, sorry. What was the question?" he asked, turning back to the Headmaster.

"What can I help you with, Mr. Malfoy?" he wondered, his mouth quirking in a small smile.

"Oh," Draco said, nodding. "Right, well." Clearing his throat, he sat up straight. "I don't know if its apparent, in fact I'm quite sure it isn't, but my allegiance does not lie with Voldemort," he said, calmly. "Nor with my father," he continued, shaking his head. "I don't hate muggles, nor people who aren't pure-blooded. I really don't care what their stature is, or whether they were born in the Wizarding world," he said, nodding. "Hermione is my best friend, and I obviously don't want her, or anyone like her, to be harmed in the upcoming War." Sighing, he glanced at her, finding reassurance in her smile. "I just want to set myself out there as a supporter of the Order, and anything that has to do with defeating Voldemort."

Leaning back in his chair, Dumbledore steepled his fingers in front of his face and nodded slowly. "You have always been a gifted student and person, Draco," he said, sincerely. "While I must admit that you're stating which side you're on isn't entirely surprising, I cannot promise that those who follow the same path with be so welcoming of you."

Nodding, Draco swallowed. "I know, sir."

"But," Dumbledore said, raising out of his chair. "I can fully admit that I believe you when you say you do not support Voldemort in his fight to gain power over the Wizarding world, ridding it of many innocent lives." Holding his hand out to him, he smiled when Draco raised from his chair and shook it strongly. "It's good to have you aboard," he said, nodding.

Turning to Hermione, he smiled faintly. "And Miss Granger," he said with a short shake of his head. "I do believe that you are quite certainly one of the most insightful young ladies to cross my path. You always manage to find friendship in the most resourceful, intelligent, and helpful people. You have a gift for creating trouble though, I'm afraid," he said, sighing.

Regaining his seat, he shook his head. "I cannot keep Lucius away from either of you forever," he warned. "And there will be a lot of problems ahead for the both of you. You are surrounded by people who feel betrayed and deceived," he reminded, frowning. "While I, and the other professors, will do our best to keep them from harassing you, we won't always be there. I do believe that as Head boy and girl, you will deal with the problems as need be," he said, nodding. "If there is nothing else though, I really must return to my work."

Standing from his chair, Draco nodded. "Thank you sir," he said.

"My pleasure, Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore said, returning his gaze to the parchment on his desk.

Hermione followed Draco out of the office and down the winding stairs. She glanced up at him with uncertainty. "He's right you know," she said, sighing. "We have an entire school against us."

"What do they matter?" he asked, shrugging his shoulders.

"Well even if we manage to ignore everything they do, we still have to deal with your father," she said, reaching out and taking his hand. "Draco," she said, when he turned his head away and continued walking. "He didn't sound the least bit understanding," she said, shaking her head. "And Dumbledore had a point when he said he can't keep him away from you forever."

"Well, what do you suppose I do?" he asked, turning back to her. "He's my father, Hermione. It's not like I can just pretend he doesn't exist."

"I know that," she said, tugging on his hand. "But there has to be something we can do; I mean, you are willing to... to keep him out of your life, right?"

"Well I don't want him to be part of it, if that's what you mean," he said, raising his free hand to run through his hair in frustration.

"Alright then," she said, nodding. "We'll just have to devise a plan to keep him away from you."

"How are we possibly going to come up with that?" he wondered, glancing down at her with a cocked eyebrow.

"We're the top students of the school, Draco. I'm sure we can figure something out," she said, rolling her eyes.

Making their way back to the Common Room, Draco lifted his arms above his head, taking Hermione's hand with him, and stretched while he yawned loudly. Mumbling the password to the portrait, they slipped inside and sat down on the couch. Leaning his head back, Draco stared at the roof, his mind swimming with the events of the day. "You know," he said, turning to her. "MacGonagall may have come up with something brilliant," he said, his eyebrows lifting.

Snorting, Hermione turned to him, leaning her head back on the couch so she was staring directly at him. "You mean about secretly marrying?" she asked, smiling with amusement.

Nodding, Draco stared at her seriously. "Think about it, I wouldn't have to marry Pansy," he said, clearly and to the point.

Laughing, Hermione shook her head. "Yes, but you'd have to marry me," she told him, staring at him with wide eyes.

"Well, I don't see any problem with that," he replied, shrugging. "I'd much rather marry you than... well anyone, at the moment," he said, smiling. "We'd be an okay married couple," he said, turning his head up and crossing his arms. "After finishing Hogwarts, you'd study to become a healer and I'd... well I don't know what I want to be just yet," he said, sighing.

Hermione turned her head up so that she too was staring at the roof, spiraling up to its wooden tower point.

"And eventually, we'd have to have children," he said, nodding. "You know, so's not to arouse suspicion."

Chuckling, Hermione shook her head. "Oh, of course," she said, smiling.

"They'd have your overwhelming brains and my handsome good looks, of course," he said, nodding. "Except the two girls, obviously they'd have to have some of their mum in them, otherwise they'd be rather odd looking," he told her, frowning.

Laughing, Hermione sat up. "How long have you been thinking of this?" she asked, chucking a pillow at him.

"Since Dumbledore mentioned it," he said, shrugging.

"Merlin," she said, pushing herself up off the couch. "First you ask me to sleep with you and next you're proposing marriage," she exclaimed, laughter ringing in her voice. "What's next Draco? Would you like to pick out our children's names? Or perhaps their future husbands and wives?" she said, chuckling. Walking to her bedroom, she shook her head in laughter.

"Think it over," he called out, smirking. "It's really not a foul plan," he told her, nodding. "And I don't think our kids should have arranged marriages," he added. "Look how it turns out! They'll end up running off with their beautiful best friends!"

Turning back, Hermione gave him a sweet grin. "Night," she said, her head leaning against her door before she closed it.

"Goodnight future Mrs. Malfoy," he called out, chuckling. Standing up from the couch, he walked to his bedroom, pushing open the door. Waving his wand, the candles around his room lit up swiftly. His eyes bugged out as he let out a startled scream at what was lying on his bed. "Bloody hell!" he shouted, covering his eyes.

"Come to bed, Dracie," Pansy's irritating voice called out.

Hermione burst through his bedroom, her wand drawn and her shirt missing. Sighing before she let a disgusted groan, she turned around quickly and covered her eyes. "I thought you were in trouble," she barked at him.

"I am," he moaned, shaking his head. "Are you blind, or did you not see that she is lying naked on my bed?"

"Oh I saw, and I'm about ready to bloody well burn my eyes out," she whisper-shouted.

Turning around to face her, Draco dropped his hand from his eyes. "Do all females look like that?" he asked, glancing down at her body. "Never mind, my question has just been answered," he said, chuckling. "Nice pajamas, really, they're superb!"

Crossing her arms, Hermione glared up at him. "Oh honestly," she said, frowning. "I was getting ready for bed when I heard your girlish scream," she said, huffing.

"I do not scream like a girl," he replied, an expression of indignation covering his face.

"Oh Draco, send the thing away and come to bed," Pansy called out in her whiny voice.

"Busy," he called back, placing his hands on Hermione's back and ushering her out of the room. Closing the door behind them, he hopped back and forth on his feet. "What the bloody hell do I do now?"

"When a girl and a boy like each other-" she began, mockingly.

"This is not that instance," he said, shaking his head. "One, I don't like her. Two, I absolutely refuse to sleep with her. I was half relying on marrying you secretly to avoid the whole mess!" he said, dramatically.

Rolling her eyes, Hermione shook her head. "Draco, I haven't even agreed to be your first shag, you can't rely on my agreeing to marry you one day, in secret no less!"

Shaking her shoulders, he stared at her seriously. "Please, help me out of this mess!" he pleaded.

Sighing, Hermione nodded. "But first," she said, reaching out and pulling his shirt off.

"Really, love, is this the time for that?" he asked, smirking.

Snorting, Hermione pulled the top over her head, before opening his door and walking through. Making a gagging motion, she turned away. "Please, Parkinson, do cover yourself, for all our sakes," she said, waving her hands.

Huffing, Pansy pulled a blanket over her form; sitting up, she glared at Hermione. "Listen you little mudblood, whether or not you're Dracie's friend doesn't matter. Because _I'm_ his girlfriend and fiancé, meaning that you have no say over what happens between us. Head girl or not, I really don't think this is a matter you need to be concerned with."

Turning back and cocking her eyebrow, Hermione crossed her arms. "Alright, Parkinson, lets get a few things straight," she said, annoyed. "One, I'm Draco's _best_ friend, meaning that whatever happens in his life, I likely know about it. Two, that whole fiancé business is going to be dealt with soon, so don't get your hopes up. Three, as Head girl, everything any student does is my business. As such, I will give you all of fifteen seconds to find your clothes, dress yourself, and get your ugly arse out of this room, this tower, this entire area. Or I promise to hex you so bad, you won't know whether you're staring at your face in the mirror, or your arse. Not that it's easy to distinguish now!" Tapping her foot, she stared at her menacingly. "14... 13... 12..."

Pansy's eyes widened before she managed to pull her clothes on in record time and race out of the Common Room in a sobbing, shouting mess.

Making a motion to brush her hands of the whole thing, Hermione walked out of the room with a satisfied smile. "I think it's time we changed the password," she told him, nodding.

Sighing with relief, Draco nodded in agreeance. "Thanks for that," he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "Really thought I'd have to result to drastic measures," he said, shuddering.

"What? Like actually shagging your girlfriend of three years," she said, chuckling.

Turning his eyes down to her with seriousness, he cocked his eyebrow. "If you were me, would you want to sleep with that?" he asked.

Hermione's lip curled with disgust, lifting her hand, she patted his arm. "We really are going to have to find a way around you marrying her," she said, sighing. "Well, maybe since you're kind of disowning your father, the agreement with Parkinson won't be binding."

"Perhaps," Draco said, shrugging. "Even if it isn't, I don't think I'll ever get the revolting sight of her on my bed out of my head," he said, grimacing.

Frowning, Hermione nodded. "I wouldn't have had to see anything if you hadn't screamed like a little girl," she reminded.

"How many times do I have to tell you? That was a very manly scream!" he said, adamantly.

Making a high pitched squeal, Hermione mocked him. "Very manly," she said, nodding.

"Shut up," he said, pushing her head down. "And I had reason to scream. I walked into what I thought was an empty room to find a completely naked girl; one I didn't want to see at all, let alone without clothes."

"Well, she's not one for subtlety, is she?" she asked, chuckling.

Grumbling, Draco nodded. "So you agree you would scream too," he said, glancing at her.

"Okay," she said, lifting her hands. "I will no longer bug you about the noises you make when set in front of ugly naked women who want to shag you," she said, nodding. "Now, what will the new password be?" she asked.

Thinking it over a moment, he tipped his head to the side and tapped his chin. Lifting his foot, he scratched the back of his other leg, while making a noise with his mouth.

Hermione sighed, copying his actions for amusement purposes.

Brightening, he looked over at her with a smirk. "Draco the shagable," he said, nodding.

Snorting, Hermione shook her head. "Draco the shagless."

Frowning, Draco crossed his arms. Thinking it over seriously, he finally settled on something they'd both like. "Amicitia," he suggested.

"Latin for friendship," she said, nodding. "I like it," she agreed.

After changing the password, they trudged back to their rooms, where Draco stood uncomfortably outside the door, shifting back and forth on his feet. Hermione had already walked into her room, ready to go to sleep and forget about the day that had transpired. Sighing, Draco walked over to her room, walking in without knocking. "I can't stay in there," he said, simply.

Laughing, Hermione shook her head but held up the side of the blanket. "Only for tonight," she said, rolling her eyes.

"You wouldn't want to stay in that bed either," he said shuddering. Crawling in beside her, he turned over on his side, holding his head up with his arm. "On the bright side," he said, smirking. "I think you scared her enough to keep her away for a few weeks, at least."

Turning over, Hermione sighed. "The poor, deranged girl thinks she's in love with you Draco," she said, shaking her head. "She's going to have a fit when she finds out you're not marrying her."

"Well, I'm not going to," he said, nodding. "I don't care how many tantrums she throws, I refuse to marry that twit," he growled. Turning over onto his stomach, Draco pulled the blanket under his head and stared at her as the moonlight fell over her face.

Smiling at him, she slipped her hand under the pillow beneath her head. Her long hair caught the light, gleaming slightly. The beautiful curls fanned out around her, slipping down her shoulders and tickling his hand as it lay between them. For a moment, he simply watched her, noticing the way the lashes of her eyes seemed long and soft. How the curve of her mouth made a small dimple appear when she smiled, with her sweet, pink lips. A spatter of freckles ran over her nose, faintly, almost unnoticeable. She was nothing like Pansy, nor any other girl in the school. She was simply beautiful; not radiant or goddess like, but beautiful. She didn't need make up or glittering jewelry with expensive gowns. In fact, all she was wearing, from what he could see, what his simple white shirt which was much longer on her frame.

"I can't remember the last time we slept together," he told her, quietly.

"Over summer break," she murmured, her eyes closed.

"That's right," he said, nodding. "On the swinging bench on your back porch," he said, remembering. "Your father went ballistic. Thinking we hadn't come home, when really we just fell asleep while talking."

Chuckling, Hermione nodded. "You were telling me about the Big Dipper," she reminded.

"Yeah," Draco replied, "You were completely tired and going on about a cow jumping over the moon and something about a spoon," he said, smiling.

Smiling lightly, Hermione yawned. "Draco?" she asked.

"Hmm?"

"I'm glad they know," she admitted.

Reaching out, Draco wrapped his hand around hers. "Me too," he said, softly. Shortly after, Draco drifted off to sleep, the lull of her breathing calming him.

The morning sun beat down on his face, but that wasn't what had woken him up. He could feel the presence of someone else in the room; someone that wasn't Hermione. He didn't open his eyes just yet, wanting to see if he could hear anything important. After a moment of silence, he slowly let his eyes open, only two be greeted by two incredibly angry green eyes.

* * *

**A/N** _I hope you're enjoying this story, and I hope a few of my readers from "**Blood Is Thicker Than Tears**_"_ have ventured over to show their support! If so, let me know!_

_I'm going to start adding the thank-you's at the top now, as I do in my other story. I really appreciate everyone who has reviewed thus far. Please do so again, and I'll be updating again soon! I've decided I'll be writing this on the side, so neither story will be ignored._

_Thanks!_

_**-Amanda**_


	5. More Than Just Angry: Royally Pissed

**Thank you so muchto the following reviewers of** _Chapter Three - **Not So Subtle**: RedRoseGrave, swimchik09, purplecrazy2291, CloudedMemory, frackandbonechick, Miss Vix, Melissa (I feel very special because of that!), Kandygurl4, just.a.reader.not.a.writer, Angel of Nature, hanvu, harryluver, Dizi 85, DracoAngelofLight, Hyuga Kyuuketsuki, segreti della mezzanotte324, ProwlingKitKat, Llam-Alpaca-Llapaca, mskiti, BlackRosePoison-Orchid, __**Zarroc, babyblue6666, Shanterria Draconia Malfoy, HelloLonely **(I recognized you, I always loved your name!), **Abraxnia, dan-lovr, Jenny, Slytherin Corps., Sahariah, JustYourAverageReviewer, eolcin8688, clebe **_and _especially** galloping-goose.**_

**_Growing_**

_Chapter Four_

_More Than Just Angry: Royally Pissed_

Draco stared at the raging green eyes, gulping but keeping his face void of emotion. Glancing down, he realized Hermione had done what she always did when they slept in the same bed, sprawled herself half on top of him. It didn't look so great that she was in his shirt or that he looked virtually naked, given that the top half of him was bare and the blanket only covered up to his waist, an inch above where his pants started. Nudging Hermione, he kept his eyes on the glaring boy in front of him, beginning to worry that perhaps he was waiting for him to say something before he _Avada_'d him.

Stirring, Hermione shook her head at his prompting for her to wake up and snuggled closer.

Chuckling with self-pity at the situation, Draco cleared his throat. "Hermione, you have a visitor," he said into her hair, inhaling the deep scent of lilacs.

"How could I possibly?" she mumbled, half asleep. "The password's been changed and Harry hates me," she reminded.

"Which is why I had to come through the window," Harry said, his voice a deep growl. "Though I really didn't expect to find this," he said, his eyebrows lifting.

Hermione practically leapt off Draco, falling off the side of the bed with a thud.

Draco rolled over to see if she was alright, noticing Harry look away, likely assuming he really was naked. Pushing the blankets off of him fully, Draco stared down at her on the floor, her eyes were closed tightly and she was biting her lip. "This would be a great time for you to get up and talk to him," Draco whisper-shouted.

"Does he have his wand pointed at you?" she wondered, opening one eye.

Turning around slightly, he shook his head. "Not that I can tell," he said, sighing.

Making a noise of relief, Hermione sat up before pushing herself to a standing position. "Harry," she squeaked. "Uh, this isn't what it looks like," she said, motioning to their appearance. "It's a long story, but we're not- we're only- I mean-" Groaning, she slowly walked around her bed. "Maybe you should leave for a minute," she said, looking at Draco.

"Sure," he said, rolling off the bed. He didn't really want to leave, as he wasn't sure what would transpire between the two. He knew they were best friends, or had been, but feelings and reactions change when someone thinks they've been betrayed. "Call me if you need me," he said, walking to the door.

"No," Harry said, shaking his head. "I want him to stay," he said, stiffly. Crossing his arms, he glared at each of them. "He's your best friend right? So he should be around to talk about this too. After all, if it weren't for him, you wouldn't have this secret friendship behind my back. If it weren't for his obsessive evil streak, we wouldn't hate each other and it wouldn't seem wrong for you to be his friend. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be more than just angry with you," he yelled viciously. Starting to pace, Harry shook his head, grumbling.

"Harry, please calm down," Hermione said, fiddling with her fingers. "If we could just talk this out..."

Draco leaned against the wall, watching the great Harry Potter angrily mutter to himself while stomping back and forth over the floor. "Nothing will be solved if you keep doing that," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Shut your hole Malfoy," Potter snapped. Groaning, he stopped, turning to Hermione and staring into her eyes. "Ron suggested the _Imperius_ curse," he told her. "But I told him that it was rather absurd; quite a big leap actually. And that surely we would've been able to tell that there was something different in you when everything changed." Sighing, he lifted a hand and ran it through his hair with frustration. "Then he thought, maybe Malfoy had something over you. That he had some kind of information that could cause you to be expelled; your greatest fear. Or that he was holding some one special to you captive. In the end, his theory was that you couldn't possibly do this to us; to me, unless you were under some kind of painful torture." Swallowing, he clenched his jaw. "That he was doing this to break you, in some sick Malfoy way. That he sent some pictures in, made up some elaborate past, and really made it look like you care about him." His eyes stared into hers, searchingly. "That's not the case though, is it?" he asked.

Shaking her head, Hermione lifted a hand to swipe at the silent tears escaping down her cheeks. "Please," she asked, reaching out for his hand. "If you'll let me explain?"

Pulling away from her, he stepped back.

Draco watched as numerous feelings passed over Harry's eyes; contempt, sadness, hurt, anger. For some reason he couldn't understand, Draco felt like he should explain. Like he should stand up for Hermione; to tell Potter that she never meant to hurt him. That she never betrayed him like he thought she did. But standing there, seeing it all in front of him, he knew nothing would come out of his mouth. Even if he did say something, Potter wouldn't take his word for it.

Staring straight at Hermione were the emerald green eyes she'd grown up looking into for friendship and comfort during the worst of times. Six long years had passed, and she truly had stayed completely loyal to Harry all along. She never told Draco anything that had to do with the Order, not anything vital anyway, just that it was an organization that she supported. He already knew all about it, so it wasn't as if she was breaking some rule by telling him she was behind the group. She never spoke of Harry's family and friends, not in depth really. It was more of explaining why Harry was the way he was; that he hadn't had the easiest life, especially when everyone he'd ever loved was ripped away from him.

Her friendship with Draco was simply about their lives, outside of her other friendships. It was about knowing her, without the label of being Harry's best friend. Or the smart one in the Golden Trio. To Draco, she was Hermione, nothing more, nothing less. He didn't care what part she played in the War unless she was harmed in some way; he didn't ask questions about her adventures with her other two best friends unless she felt like sharing them with him. He understood her, he didn't need to know about her life with them. He didn't want to know what the all powerful Harry Potter thought, did, or said; he was simply in the background of everything.

Smiling in an angry way, Harry shook his head, running his hand over his face and staring at her. "But then, I realized that you only smile the way you did in those pictures, when you're really enjoying yourself," he said, swallowing. "That the way you tipped your head, it was exactly how you do it when you find something really amusing," he told her, chuckling with indignation. "And that there was no way that anybody could ever capture that sparkle in your eye that you always get when you laugh. It just wasn't possible for you to be faking it."

Hermione winced, biting her lip; stepping back, her head turning from side to side. Tears freely roamed down her face and a sob escaped her throat but she lifted her hand to smother it. Her shoulders were shaking visibly, Draco could see them plainly where he stood.

Inhaling deeply, Harry glared at her. "So then, it became obvious," he said, his eyes lifting to hers. "All those times that I thought you were studying, all those days when I wondered what you were doing, you were just running around behind my back. Hanging out with your best friend; the only guy my age who lives to make my life hell. A future Death Eater," he spat.

"That's enough," Draco said, stepping forward.

He couldn't listen to it anymore, there was only so much he could take when it came to Hermione. Sure, he had been a royal bastard to her in the past; he had relished in her misery, but that was not the case any more. To see her cry, to see her break down right in front of him, was more than he could handle. She was strong, so much so that this whole fight was a complete mockery of her name. She had taken on dark wizards, giant magical creatures, Death Eaters, and the cruelties of bullying at school, she should not have to hear her best friend belittle her. She should not have to cower in his presence, begging that he forgive her for being the kind person she is and gaining friendship with someone else.

"I really don't think this is the time for you to speak," Harry said, lowly, turning his glare onto him.

"And I really think it is," he replied, his voice dangerously dark. "If you want to be angry at her, then be angry at her. But don't come around yelling at her unless you're willing to hear her side of it," he said, his eyes thinning. "Because as much as you want to believe that she's been doing this to hurt you, she hasn't."

"You would know, right?" Harry asked, walking toward him. "You're the one that knows the real Hermione Granger, right? I've just been fed this other person, this girl that I thought was the most trustworthy person alive. That I thought would do anything in her power to keep her friends safe and happy," he said, with a derisive laugh. "But in the end, she was just as selfish as the rest. Keeping her little indulgence hidden away from the person she was supposed to trust wholly, until she decided one day that she didn't want it to be a secret, so she sent off a couple pictures and told her story to Skeeter," he accused, his tone sharp.

Draco swallowed, fearing the boy in front of him slightly. He wasn't about to step away, showing his indecision. He had fought Potter in the past; it wasn't as if anything they had done would lead to death, although the fire in the boy-who-lived's eyes now would say different. Draco had always known that Hermione had a special place with Harry; not just a friend, not exactly a romantic interest, but a whole other level just for her. She was the one who stuck by his side through everything, keeping him from falling into the pit of darkness that paraded around behind him, trying to consume him at every corner.

"She is the person you thought she was," Draco replied, his eyes level with Harry's, a mere foot between them. "She's completely trustworthy, entirely loving and protective of her friends, and she'd never betray you."

Harry snorted indignantly.

Tipping his head to one side, Draco glared at him. "Do you really think she went through the trouble of outing her friendship with me to hurt you? That she was too coward to tell you, so she had someone else do it for her? How little trust you must've had in her the whole time."

Harry opened his mouth to reply, but Draco cut him off.

"The only reason she ever kept it from you was because she didn't want anything like this to happen. And the reason she kept it from everyone else is because my father and Voldemort's followers would write her down on their hit list; of course, she was already on it because of you, but now, she's a priority. My father will not let her live, so it's not like she walked into Hogwarts one day and thought, 'Hmm, how the hell should I ruin my best friend's life? What would hurt him the most?'

Harry's eyes thinned, his arms fell to his sides and his hands curled into fists.

"Her story with me isn't one of betrayal and lies, but you don't want to hear that, do you? You just want to scream at her until she cries and begs forgiveness. Well sod off, Potter. Because if you're not willing to stand up for your best friend, I certainly am," Draco told him, his voice a steady deep pitch.

Hermione had quieted now, her eyes rimmed with red and wet from the tears that had been shed. Her gaze was focused on Draco, bright with gratitude. Turning to Harry, she inhaled deeply. "He's right," she said, her voice steady. "If all you've come here to do is yell at me, or make me feel worse for what's happened, then you have no business here. If you don't want to listen to what I have to say, my side of things, then you can leave," she said, strongly. She swallowed, showing a moment of weakness. "Because as much as I care for you, as hard as I've tried to be a great and trustworthy friend to you, it really doesn't look like it has been enough for you."

Harry stared at her, the normally bright green of his eyes had dulled. His mouth was set in a grim line, his arms lifted to cross over his chest. He looked as if he had a lot to say, as if perhaps he wanted to ask her what her side was, but he was far too stubborn. Or perhaps it just wasn't the time for them to reconcile, maybe they needed time apart, to really figured themselves out.

"You look at me," she said, lifting her hand and wiping her eyes of the tears that slipped out silently. "And you don't see me as the Hermione who fought with you, cared for you, and trusted you in the darkest of times. You see me as some kind of traitor, someone who deceived you for her own selfish needs," she said, her voice full of anguish. "And I can understand that, Harry," she said, shaking her head and stepping forward. "I can understand that when you see me standing here and you see him right there, ready to defend me and able to admit that he has been there for two and half years, you feel nothing but anger towards me. I can handle that," she said nodding.

Swallowing, she bit her lip and closed her eyes. "But I cannot, I will not, stand in front of you, day after day, begging you to see the real me. Because all you see right now is me; there is no other hidden side. I've never changed and I never will. This is who I am; this is the girl who held your hand when things were too much to take. The friend who stood tall by your side when everybody else deserted you. The person you trusted everything in, who never betrayed you, and continued to keep your secrets, fears, and doubts locked in her mind for all eternity."

Crossing her arms, she raised her eyes to his with as much strength as she could muster. "When you see that, when you see that I have and always will be the same 'Mione' who has always loved you, then you can come back here. You can ask me any question you want and I'll answer it. You can sit with me while I explain the entire history of Draco and I, not leaving anything out. Because when you figure this out, you'll realize that I'm your best friend; that I always have been. You'll understand that I never meant to hurt you, all I wanted was to keep from losing you."

With her lip quivering, she lifted her hand and pointed to the window. "On that day, I will welcome you, but today, while you stand with all the anger, sadness, and loathing you can muster towards me in your eyes, I will not speak with you."

Swallowing, Harry stared at her for a moment before walking to the window, taking his broom and setting off out the window without another word.

Finally letting the aching sob escape her throat, Hermione crumpled to the floor, only to fall into Draco's embrace. Burying her crying face against his shoulder, she welcomed his strong arms around her, soothing away her tears and replacing them with strong reassurance. Leaning his head down, his cheek pressed against her temple, he whispered calming words into her ear until she stopped shaking.

Her chest was rising and falling quickly but her tears had ceased their trampling of her delicate face. Her small hand clutched at his arm, keeping him close to her as if she were scared that he too was going to desert her. Feeling the need to assure her he was never going to leave her, he pulled her closer, running his hands up and down her back gently.

"Will they all be like this?" she wondered.

"I don't know," he replied. "I have no idea how everyone else will react," he said, honestly. "Some won't care, or they'll talk about it purely for gossip's sake. Others will despise us for going against the 'natural' flow of things." Sighing, he rubbed her arm, ignoring the shiver he got when he felt the warmth of her skin beneath his palm. "Perhaps a few of them will actually approve of us, maybe even stand behind our friendship."

"Our friends though..." she stated, unsure. "Ron, he won't- He'll never forgive me for this," she said, exhaling sharply. "And Ginny, I can't imagine she'll be thrilled either. We're not the best of friends, but we're close," she reminded, sniffling. "Oh and Luna," she said, sorrowfully. "What will she say?" she wondered, shaking her head slightly. "She's my best girl friend and every time she asked me about friendships and boys, I completely left you out. She was hinting though, I know she was. She had been wondering where I was getting off to so often, but I kept it from her the whole time."

"Well, you're going to find out soon," he said, sighing. "I'm pretty sure we have time for a very short breakfast before we go to class."

Looking completely horrified, Hermione stared at him with wide-eyes. "What am I going to do without you?" she asked.

"You've managed quite fine in class without me," he assured. "I am second to you, remember."

"Yes, but what if we have to get into partners?" she asked, panicking. "Or what if there's no where for me to sit, because everyone views me as a traitorous bint?"

Chuckling slightly, Draco shook his head. "Listen to me," he said, holding her a few inches away from his face by her shoulders. "You're a Gryffindor, known for her overwhelming courage. Are you really scared of a bunch of brainless fools who don't know you at all?"

Inhaling deeply, Hermione nodded. "You're right," she said, smiling lightly. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me," he said, shaking his head and helping her from the floor. "I figure if you're eventually going to become my secret wife, I must learn to calm your irrational fears and mood swings," he said, smirking.

"Mood swings?" she growled, her brow furrowing.

"Yes, that right there!" he said, triumphantly.

"Oh I'll show you a mood swing, Draco Malfoy," she said, menacingly. Crawling across her bed, reaching towards her wand on the end table, she turned back to him with a furious expression.

"Love, that kind of mood is best kept until after we've married behind everyone's backs," he said, motioning to her position on the bed and laughing.

Grabbing hold of her wand, she turned back to him with a satisfied smirk. "Is that right?' she asked, tipping her head.

"Now Hermione, don't do anything foolish," he said, holding his hands up in his defense.

Lifting her brow, she smiled at him. "Like what?" she asked, crawling off the bed to walk towards him. Her arm lowered to point to something vital, in his opinion.

Draco widened his eyes, staring down and then up at her. "Okay, maybe this would be a good time to retract any statements about mood swings," he said, chuckling with worry. "Just move the wand an few inches higher and everything will be fine."

Smirking, Hermione shook his head. "What's a matter Draco? Is somebody scared?" she teased.

His eyes flashed for a moment before his concern slipped away, replaced with calm indifference. "You know Hermione, if you do anything to that area, our future children will be the one's to really suffer."

Hermione's cheeks coloured before her hand slipped while she turned a dropped jaw expression up to him.

Moving forward during her off-guard moment, he wrapped his hand around her wand, pulled it from her grasp and used his Quidditch reflexes to quickly pick her up off the ground before she could run away. Lifting her, her legs dangled over one of his arms while her neck was propped up by his other one. Walking to the bed, laughing, he dropped her down and began mercilessly tickling her sides. Grinning down at her, he watched her eyes tear up with unrestrained excitement as she laughed loudly.

"Admit I'm the handsomest bloke to ever cross your path," he said, smirking.

Shaking her head, Hermione tried her best to squirm out of his grasp.

Throwing his leg over her waist, her trapped her beneath him, running his fingers over her sides in a frantic motion while she giggled and shouted for him to stop.

"Admit it," he said, moving his hands up to attack above her ribs, the most sensitive spot to tickle her. His hands accidentally slipped beneath her shirt, but neither of them seemed to notice.

Shaking her head, Hermione arched her back while throwing her head back and letting out a loud choked laugh. "Never," she managed, her voice hoarse from laughing.

Leaning forward, Draco lifted one of his hands to attack her neck, causing her to cock her head to one side, trying to trap his hand from its tickling position. For a moment, he lost himself in how beautiful she looked underneath him. With her hair fanned out around her, a giant, happy grin over her mouth, and a look of delirious comfort in her eyes. He hadn't realized he was so close to laying on her until he noticed his hands stopped moving and her breathing was beginning to calm down. Her chest still rose and fell with dramatic speed, Draco vaguely noticed it was brushing against his chest, lightly.

Hermione looked up at him, a serene smile on her lips. "Gave in, I see," she said, blinking her chestnut eyes at him.

Inhaling deeply, Draco nodded slightly. He meant to move his hand from her side, but realized her velvety skin was pressed against his palm, causing him to pause in his retraction. Hermione's arms were now behind her head, propping it up higher as she stared up into his eyes. He could see them inside of hers, a swirl of silver with a tinge of blue staring at her intently. His eyes darted down to her supple mouth, her warm breath lifted to press against his lips, causing his back to become stiff. He wasn't sure what was happening, he'd been close to Hermione for years, closer than they were now, but somehow it seemed different. For a vague second, he wondered if the urge he was having to lean in was connected to the fact that his lips begged to press against hers. But that was an impossible thought, because he was laying on top of his best friend, not a love interest. Right?

Before he could think it over too much, Hermione leg slipped in between them and rocketed him back so that he was laying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. He was still straddling her waist, so his legs were bent in a rather uncomfortable position. "I don't remember you being so flexible," he said, smirking. All thoughts of kissing her had slipped from his mind.

"Yoga," she answered, chuckling. Sitting up, she slapped his bare chest before rolling off the bed, rifling through her dresser, and skipping off to have the first shower.

Furrowing his brow, Draco turned onto his side, rubbing his chest where a red hand print lay. "What's yoga?" he wondered.

Laughing, she didn't reply, but closed the bathroom door.

Hearing the shower turn on, Draco sighed but walked to his room to gather his things for his regular morning routine. Upon walking in, he glanced at the bed and curled his lip in disgust. If Hermione hadn't been able to get rid of Pansy, he wasn't sure what would've happened, but it wouldn't have been any thing good. Casting a cleaning spell on it, he sat on the chest in front of his tall four-poster bed. When the water turned off, he waited a few minutes before walking over to the bathroom door and knocking. Hearing no protest, he opened the door and walked inside.

Hermione turned around and faced him, a towel wrapped around her torso. "Sorry," she said, running a hand through her hair. "I was drying my hair, so I didn't hear you knock."

"No," he said, shaking his head. "It's alright, I'll let you finish."

"That's okay," she said, holding up her hand. "I'm done, you can have the shower." She began to walk away but her towel caught on the end of the counter, pulling it out of its wrapping. Slipping from her, Hermione didn't notice until it was too late. Shocked, she froze in front of him, her mouth falling open and her eyes widening.

Completely surprised, Draco was rooted to one spot, his eyes, however, had no problem making their way down her beautiful form before lifting to her blushing face. Making a choked noise, he closed his eyes, covered them with his eyes and turned around. "Sorry," he said quickly.

"Not your fault," she said, hurrying to grab the towel, wrapping it around her tightly.

"Are you decent?" he asked, his voice rather high given the predicament.

"Yes," she said.

Turning back around, he ran a hand through his hair. "Well," he stated, looking anywhere but her face. "On the bright side, I now know for a fact, that not all women look like Pansy naked," he said, nodding with a smirk.

"Draco," she scolded, her eyes dark but a smile lifting her mouth.

"What?" he asked, innocently. "It was bound to happen one day," he said, nodding. "After all, I walk into your room without knocking all the time," he reminded.

Nodding, Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "Well, I'd rather it you than most of the other boys I know. Can you imagine how they'd react?"

Draco felt an odd sharp pain in his chest at thinking anybody else might've seen her in the state he had, but he ignored it to laugh with her. "What do you think Longbottom would do?" he wondered, a deep laugh escaping from his chest.

Hermione clutched her stomach as she doubled over, shaking her head. "I can't even..." Waving her hand, she chuckled before lifting her bright face and smiling. Sighing, she nodded. "See, this is why our friendship will always last," she told him.

Another sharp jab at his chest made his smile waver, but he pushed on and nodded to her. "Yes, so you should definitely start running around naked more often," he offered. "In fact, let's make the Head common room a clothing optional space," he said, nodding vigorously. "And by optional, I mean unnecessary at all times. So, feel free Hermione, rid yourself of constricting clothing and just frolic around as if it's an every day thing. Which it will be, one day," he said, nodding.

Laughing, Hermione shook her head. "I don't think so," she said, smiling. Walking past him, she patted the spot where the red hand print was fading. "Nice try though."

"How about just Wednesday's and Thursday's then," he called out to her retreating back. "Saturday's and Sundays?" he wondered, lifting his brows in question. "Okay," he said, nodding. "Only on Monday's then. Understood!"

Laughing, he closed the door, stripped off his clothing and hopped in for a shower. A half hour later, they were practically running through the halls just to get to class. Their little escapade that morning caused them to miss breakfast and narrowly make it to class. Pushing open the doors to their Defense Against the Dark Arts class, they walked in breathing heavily.

Draco had Hermione's books propped against his side, because she was unable to find her bag to carry them and was slowing them down while they ran. Handing them to her, he walked to the front to sit down at his usual seat. Hermione, having glanced at the Gryffindor side, where all of her regular friends were pointedly ignoring her and the rest were glaring, followed Draco, sitting down in the seat beside him.

Snape stood at the front of the class, glaring at each student with a menacing scowl. "Mr. Malfoy, Miss. Granger, if you would try your best to get to class at a more opportune time, I would appreciate it," he spat, annoyance dripping from his voice.

Nodding, they turned to each other with a small, knowing smile. Snape had been adamant in his better treatment of Draco and his distaste of Hermione, so it would be interesting to see how he would deal with their new known friendship. He didn't make any comment about them sitting together, but he did shoot them nasty glares whenever his eyes ventured towards them.

The class was spent going through numerous pages on something incredibly boring, even for Hermione's tastes. Though Draco noticed her peeking glances over at Harry and the Weasel, neither of them seemed to take notice of her, or they were trying their best not to. While Hermione wasn't looking, Draco noticed Harry glance over in her direction, an unreadable look in his eyes. When he noticed Draco looking though, he shot him a death glare and turned back to his work.

By the end of the class, Hermione was sighing with boredom and Draco was yawning. They walked out of the room, turning to say goodbye as they now had separate classes until after lunch. Knowing that she was going to be running around with more books than needed, he offered to take her Potions book for her to drop off in their room. Thanking him profusely, she ran off with her arms still full of other books, half covering her face. Chuckling, Draco started making his way towards his next class, deciding he'd drop the extra textbook off afterwards.

On his way, he ran into a group of angry 6th and 7th year Slytherin's, leaning against the wall and picking on a few passing students. It was obvious they were waiting for him, knowing what class he had next and having a load of questions for him. As he passed, he pretended he didn't notice them, keeping his face impassive and his back rigid. He stood to his full height, using every bit of his regular arrogance to make him look as mean as he could be. They scattered around him, not too close, but enough for him not to be able to ignore them.

"So Draco," a 6th year Slytherin who often thought himself better than Malfoy said, an air of victory rang in his voice. "What is it like being a traitor to your father, your House, and your friends?"

"Rather invigorating," he replied, turning his icy gaze on the boy. "Knowing your father is out to kill you, adds a bit of melancholy to things, but only makes you enjoy life just that much more," he said, inhaling air as if it had a better scent now. "Knowing the House you've lead for six and a half years isn't entirely behind you any more, well," he said, shrugging. "Must say, they're really quite incompetent without me," he told him, nodding. "And as for my friends, Jacobs," he stated, his tone sharp. "The only one I need isn't a Slytherin, and she knows I'd never betray her."

"So it's true then," he said, a smirk evident on his face. "Our Slytherin Prince has gone soft," he said, chuckling.

Reaching out, Draco wrapped his hand around the boy's neck; moving to the side, he pinned him against the wall, lifting him up and cutting off his air. "I want you to remember what I say," he said, staring up at him. "Word for word," he told him.

The group of boys stood motionless around him, staring at it all in shock, rooted to the ground.

"I'll never be a Death Eater and I'll never serve the Dark Lord," he told him, nodding. "I will not be my father's lackey, and I won't lead you sorry excuses for wizards into a battle against the Gryffindor's or anyone else." Shaking his head, he tightened his grasp on the boy's throat. "But one thing that is completely certain," he said, his voice dark and his eyes thinning. "Is that I am stronger than each and every one you. Physically, magically, mentally. If you ever try and gang up on me again, if you ever even consider trying to talk down to me, I will personally rip you limb from limb," he promised. Turning to look at each one of them, his eyes became an icy silver that turned each boy from the strong looking group to a bunch of pathetic cowards. "Is that clear?" he asked, his tone rising to the one he only used when incredibly angry.

Nodding vigorously, Jacobs band of complete imbeciles ran off, scared.

Releasing his grasp, Draco let the taunting boy fall to the ground, gasping for air and staring up at him with terror. "Run," Draco told him, stiffly.

Scrambling off the floor, he ran off with his hand around his throat, rubbing it.

Sighing, Draco shook his head and finished his walk to class. Entering, he was surprised to see someone sitting next to his regular seat. He was more than sure that every Slytherin was going to evade him at all costs. Walking over, he sat down, glancing at the bent head next to him. Clearing his throat, he waited for the boy to realize what he was doing and run off. Instead, he sat up, looked over at Draco and smiled his usual grin. Surprised, Draco didn't smile back but stared at the friend he thought he'd lost over the entire escapade with shock.

"You really shouldn't do that, it makes you look completely retarded," the boy told him, smirking. "Now wipe that look of shock off your face or I really will ditch you for becoming friends with the little Gryffindor Princess."

Shaking his head, Draco let himself smile, though rather suspiciously. "But you, of all wizards, have always been as adamant on pure blood as I pretended to be," he reminded, lifting a brow.

"Key word there is 'pretended'," he replied. "Look, you were my best mate, what was I supposed to do? Tell you that you were being a mean prat? Come off it Malfoy, I wasn't about to tell you I really didn't care about blood."

"Are you being serious?" he wondered, trying not to sound hopeful. It wasn't that he wasn't completely willing to live out the rest of the year with his only friend and ally being Hermione, but he wouldn't mind some Slytherin support; especially from his other best mate.

"When am I not?" he wondered, smirking.

"Always," Draco replied, chuckling.

"Well, this time I really am," he replied, sighing.

A ruckus sounded in the back as a couple of Slytherin's walked in, glancing at Draco fearfully but grumbling all the same.

"That your doing?" his friend wondered.

"Of course," Draco said, nodding. "If they think they're going to scare me, they have another thing coming," he told him, darkly.

Grinning, the boy nodded. "Good to see you haven't gone soft over your new little girlfriend," he said.

"I'll never go soft," Draco replied, shaking his head. "If they think they've seen my anger in the past, they don't know what's coming. I'm not going to wait around for their pathetic antics," he told him, stiffly. "And if they go near Hermione..."

"They'll see 'royally pissed Draco,' scariest bloke known to Slytherin history," the boy said, nodding. Leaning back in his chair, he put his arms behind his back and smirked. "I can't wait for the show."

"Shut up Blaise," he replied, shaking his head but grinning.

* * *

**A/N** _I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm working on **Blood Is Thicker That Tears**, but I had to go to my sister's 16th birthday and then I watched a couple movies so I lost track of time. Don't worry though, it'll be up soon. I'll have another chapter to this too, after I update **BITTT**. Thanks for reading, please review!_

_**-Amanda**_


	6. Ties That Bind

**Thanks a bunch for those who reviewed**_ Chapter Three_ **-_More Than Just Angry: Royally Pissed_**: _Hyuga Kyuuketsuki, mskiti, HermionexDracoshipper, mskarijade, Miss Vix, ProwlingKitKat, eolcin8688, Slythrin Corps., Clouded Memory, lina lakeland, Angel of Nature (Nice to see you're still around:D), hanvu, purplecrazy2291, Kaye Chan,Erica, Kourui, **Abraxnia, clebe, RedRoseGrave**, **Zarroc, HelloLonely **_and _especially** galloping-goose.**_

**_Growing_**

_Chapter Five_

_Ties That Bind_

Hermione, though she kept her head high and her shoulders stiff, felt like she had been walking through a mine field all morning. The Gryffindor's absolutely refused to acknowledge her in the least; unless she sat near them, the result being their adamant move to another desk. Nobody wanted to sit near the traitor; she refused to let them see that it hurt though. Instead, she kept her face impassive and her tears trapped behind her eyes. Harry, though he didn't comment or send her nasty glares, he ignored her completely, pretending she wasn't there at all. Ron, on the other hand, was comfortable glowering at her whenever she caught his eye, and even made a few nasty comments under his breath.

The other Houses weren't welcoming either, most staring at her suspiciously. The Hufflepuff's actually looked as if they feared her, considering her Draco's girlfriend, or at least his lover. When she so much as walked too close to them, they'd scurry away as if she burned; scared that she might hurt them somehow. Now, Hermione was known for having a scathing temper at times, her hexes were widely known as being something to fear. But she never hurt anybody on purpose, or in any way that might actually cause extreme bodily harm.

The Slytherin's, as treacherous as they've always been, kept their mouths shut when Draco was nearby. The girls were worse than the boys, so far anyway. As they always had a rude word to say in passing, whispering it so only she could hear. Parkinson was happy to bump into her at every possible moment, knocking her into things painfully. Hermione was fairly sure that she had a bruise on the small of back after being launched into the corner of a table when Pansy hurried past her.

Ravenclaw was a different story, as they lived off of intelligence, they really didn't comment or glare. They did however, stare at her questioningly, sometimes even making a tsking noise. As if they were wondering what exactly got into her head, what caused her smarts to dissipate enough for her to make such a mistake. Being one of superior intelligence, this reaction grated on Hermione's nerves to no end.

She was, however, happy to find that she was no longer alone. Upon walking into the last class she would have without Draco, she looked around to see Ravenclaw's on one side and Gryffindor's on the other. Finding tsking and wondering looks to be better than being ignored and ran from, Hermione took a seat at the back on the Ravenclaw side. Glancing at Harry and Ron, she found Luna sitting beside Harry, talking animatedly. When Professor Slughorn entered the Potions classroom, Luna gathered her things to take another seat. Smiling back at Hermione, she walked over to sit with her.

Sitting up quickly from her half slumped position, Hermione stared at her with wide, confused eyes. Glancing at Harry, she found he had a look of shock, but he wasn't angry, unlike Ron who had turned red. Dropping her books on the desk, Luna slid in beside her. "You know, my father told me about a potion that can make Crumple-Horned Snorkack's fly," she told her, happily. "Wouldn't that be interesting?"

Staring at her a moment, Hermione simply blinked in surprised. "Oh, um, yes, that would," she said, nodding.

Luna nodded, turning her glossy silver eyes down to her book, a dreamy smile on her face. "You're wondering why I'm speaking to you, huh?"

Tapping her quill on the desk, Hermione stared at her. "Well, yes," she admitted, frowning. "You see, nobody else is. Not even Harry, and he's supposed to be my best friend."

"Well," Luna said, sighing. "I'm not like everyone else," she reminded. Turning her head to the side, she looked up, her radish earrings became more noticeable beneath her blonde hair. "Then again, neither is Harry. But that doesn't matter, because he's not sitting back here. Is he?" she said, taking a moment to actually look around, searching for him. "No, I'm afraid it's just you and I."

Hermione felt the overwhelming sense that she wanted to hug her friend, happy to know the term still applied. "I'm glad you came back here," she said, smiling brightly.

"Me too, it's much chillier near the front," Luna told her nodding.

Chuckling at her odd words, Hermione opened her Potions textbook and spread some parchment in front of her. Readying her quill, she felt better about school and what was to come. She wasn't completely alone, even if every student but two thought ill of her. She was strong, she was intelligent, and she had two incredible friends, she could do this. Her mouth tugged into a smile, and her ears perked at the knowledge spilling from Professor Slughorn's mouth.

During lunch, Hermione waved to Luna as she walked back to her House table to sit down. Most of Hermione's books had been handed off to Draco in the hallway, as he was usually able to drop them in their Common Room. Her arms ached, as she was tired of carrying around the stack, even with Draco's help she managed to carry around a good amount of books. Four heavy, thick texts dug into her side as she made her way down the center of two tables, looking for an open spot for her to sit at. Frowning, she realized that the Gryffindor's had spread out on purpose, trying to send her a message.

Becoming frustrated with everything, she glared at anyone who so much as glanced her way. A moment before she was going to stomp her foot and let out a loud, ear piercing scream, she heard someone call her last name. Her eyes scanned the tables around her, settling on a handsome boy at the Slytherin table. "Well hurry up, Princess, the food will be gone if you don't get to it before Crabbe and Goyle," Zabini called to her, waving her over.

Sighing with relief, but feeling rather uncomfortable, Hermione walked over to sit down beside him. Glancing at him, she found he was smiling at her genuinely, unlike the rest of the table. Looking around, she felt incredibly uneasy surrounded my people who truly hated her. Zabini seemed to sense this, as he turned around and gave them a sharp glare, resembling Draco's. "Is there a problem?" he asked, his voice dark.

Turning back to their food, the Slytherin's kept their eyes down.

"Right then," he said, turning back to Hermione. Holding out his hand, he grinned. "I'm Blaise, Draco's other best mate," he introduced himself. "Haven't heard much about you," he admitted. "But if you're good with him, you're good with me."

Taking his hand, she shook it gratefully. "Thank you," she said, quietly. "I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do if left to my own devices," she told him, smiling lightly.

"Hex the entire table and then gather up enough food to last you a few days," he said, nodding. "That's what I would do anyway."

Chuckling, Hermione turned forward, eyeing the delicious food in front of her. She had missed breakfast and now she was terribly hungry.

"Go ahead then, it hasn't been poisoned, we only do that to Goyle's food," he said, winking.

"Wha?" Goyle asked, lifting his head from stuffing his face, mashed potatoes layered around his mouth. "Wha'd you say?" he wondered, looking back and forth between Blaise and Hermione.

Shaking his head, Blaise shrugged. "Haven't said a thing. Hurry up now, you've only eaten enough for three people."

Stifling her laugh, Hermione watched the interaction with amusement. Just as she was about to ask where Draco was, she felt a warm hand on her shoulder and looked up to see him grinning down at her. Taking a seat on her other side, he nodded at Blaise and then filled his plate. "I see you've met Blaise," he said, lifting a mug of pumpkin juice to his mouth.

Nodding, Hermione glanced over at him before returning her gaze to Draco. "Yes, he managed to save me from completely destroying the entire Gryffindor table," she told him, nodding.

"That bad, eh?" he asked, taking the initiative to start putting food on her plate for her.

Watching as he placed only food she liked on her plate, she smiled at him thankfully. "Well, it's been a... difficult day. However, I do have one friend left," she told him, a grin lighting up her face.

"Really? Who's that?" he wondered, lifting her hand and pressing the mug of pumpkin juice into it.

"Luna," she told him, nodding before taking a drink. Making a sigh of refreshed happiness after swallowing the cool liquid, she licked her lips. "She was talking to Harry and Ron, so I really didn't think she was going to speak to me ever again, but then when class started she came back and sat with me," she told him, happily. "Then she said something about flying Crumple-Horned Snorkack's, but that doesn't matter," she said, waving her hand dismissively.

"I thought they couldn't fly," Blaise commented, tipping his head.

"You read The Quibbler?" Draco asked, smirking.

"No," he said, clearing his throat and turning his eyes down to his food. "I just... heard about them, that's all!"

Chuckling, Draco shrugged, nudging her arm to remind her to eat. "Well, I'm glad you've got her."

"Me too," Hermione said, sticking her fork into her food and enjoying the delicious flavor.

A short while later, with her stomach full and her mind less heavy, she strolled out the Great Hall with Blaise and Draco. They were discussing upcoming Quidditch strategies animatedly, which she was use to because of Ron and Harry. On their way to their next class, of which Blaise wasn't apart of because he had dropped it the year before, Hermione looked down at her arms to realize that she hadn't brought her textbook, which reminded her of her book bag. Gasping, she stopped in the middle of the hall.

Pausing in their walking, the two Slytherin boys turned to her, their arms still in mid-air from motioning their Quidditch plays. Staring at her with confused expressions, they walked back to her. "What's wrong?" Draco asked, staring at her with a lifted brow.

"The bag, oh no, my-" she said, shaking her head. "I have to find it," she said, frantically. Turning around, she started running back towards the Head Common Room.

"Right, well talk to you later, Princess," Blaise called out, waving his hand.

"Are you coming to class?" Draco shouted, stepping forward with confusion.

"I don't know," she replied, surprised at her reply.

Upon reaching the Head portrait, she half-shouted the password and hurried inside. Barreling through the Common Room, she tossed everything around, searching every corner for her bag. Growling with annoyance, she made her way into her bedroom, looking under the bed, in every drawer of her dresser, and then checking her wardrobe top to bottom. It was absolutely no where to be found.

Shaking her head, she ran to Draco's room, looking around in all of his things and finding nothing that could help. She did, however, run across a couple muggle pictures taken of her and him, sitting in the drawer beside his bed. Taking a break from her frantic search, she relaxed slightly, remembering the day the picture had been taken. It was the summer before 7th year and he had come to visit for a few weeks, which was completely perfect to her parents, who simply adored him. Her mother had finally convinced him to call her by her first name, but there were a few instances when he accidentally called her 'mum.' Of course, she got a little teary eyed and hugged him, but Draco was rather annoyed with himself for doing so, feeling like perhaps he was overstepping his boundaries with the Granger family. Though he had a tight bond with Hermione's father, he never made the slip, instead easily calling him Henry. Hermione was surprised to find that her dad truly did like Draco, treating him like a loved son-in-law of sorts.

The night the picture was taken, they had been down at the beach enjoying a bonfire some of the local teenagers were throwing. They stuck close to each other, not really knowing the others around them and simply enjoying roasting marshmallows over the fire. While Hermione was grabbing them a couple soda's, a very drunk boy had caught her off guard, kissing her sloppily and managing to grope her over her tankini top. Before Hermione could react by pushing him off and slapping him, he was torn off her by a very angry Draco, who actually ended up punching the boy.

Of course, after that, the bonfire had been ruined for them, so her and Draco took a walk to cool off. Making their way around the rim of the beach, Draco walked through the chilly water, his hands stuffed in his pockets. Halfway down the beach, they could still hear the blaring music from the miniature party. Feeling better and not so tense or angry, Draco offered his hand to her for a dance to the music in the background. Chuckling, Hermione took his hand and grinned when he twirled her around. The cold water lapped at her ankles, making her shiver. Draco draped an arm around her side, his hand settling on the small of her back, pressing her close to him. Tipping his head, he leaned it against her face as they swayed around to the soft melody, the moon as the only source of light for them to see.

As Hermione danced with him, she felt a tug at her heart and for a moment actually wondered what it would be like to kiss him. She could hear the soft thud of his heartbeat, the rhythm was intoxicating, soon drowning out the sound of music all together. His hand lightly skimmed up her back before making its way back down, sending a shiver through her. Pulling back from him, Hermione stared at his handsome face, slightly scared at what she was starting to feel in her stomach. He managed to calm her feelings though, by tossing her into the water not a moment later. Laughing, she enjoyed the sense of friendship and odd intimacy they shared. Running out of the water, she jumped on his back and pulled him down with her.

Smiling at the picture of them, sitting by the fire, their face lit up with shadows. His head was turned, his lips pressing a kiss against her temple, while she smiled contentedly as she held her stick and marshmallow in the fire. Her free hand was wrapped around his, their arm linked comfortably. They rather looked more like a couple than best friends, Hermione was mildly surprised that the thought didn't really bother her.

Sighing, she dropped the picture back into the drawer, along with a few others, and climbed off his bed. Leaving Draco's room, she exited through the portrait, making her way over to the Gryffindor Tower. It was possible that she may have left her bag in the Common Room, and she just couldn't imagine what would happen if anybody read what lay inside the journal she had kept hidden inside it. Those were her personal thoughts and feelings, her past with Draco was written out explicitly. Even mentioning how she was becoming rather unsure of her feelings towards him, somewhat concerned that perhaps she was starting to feel more than friendship. Her relationship with Harry had been penned out in great detail also, talk of how she believed he had feelings for Luna was even included. Going on about how Hermione felt that he was much better off with the sometimes odd blonde, rather than the feisty red-head he was with now. If anybody got a hold of it, like Rita Skeeter, then she'd be in for a horrible year.

Giving the password to the Gryffindor portrait, she walked through with a sigh, finding it empty. Beginning her search, Hermione checked every single corner, under all the furniture, and even considered checking the fireplace. Sighing, she slumped down on the couch, covering her face with her hands. Just as she was about to give up completely, she opened her burning eyes to see the strap of her bag peeking out from beneath the seat cushion of a chair. Frowning, she wondered why it would be there, but hurriedly ran over to grab it. Checking every pocket and turning it inside out, she groaned with irritation and worry at finding it didn't hold her journal.

What if it had made it into the wrong hands? It suddenly dawned on her that she had her books, but not her bag, so someone must've taken her books out of it. There'd be no reason for her to drop her books off and then bring an empty bag to the Gryffindor Common Room. Standing up with suspicion, she crossed her arms feeling quite out of sorts. Hurrying out of the Common Room, Hermione made her way back to the Head Tower, to get her books and put them rightfully in her bag. Running to class, she opened the door, feeling her cheeks flush as all of the students turned to look at her. Clearing her throat, she hurried over to sit at the front with Draco, who was giving her a questioning look, wondering why she had been gone so long. As class was three-quarters over, Hermione why wondered she had bothered at all.

While their teacher droned on, Hermione looked over at Draco's parchment, where he had written a note to her. "_What took you so long?_" it asked.

"_Had to find my book bag,_" she wrote back. "_It had my journal in it!_"

Leaning back slightly, Draco looked around her to see if she had her bag. "_So you have your journal back too?_"

"_No! I think somebody took my bag on purpose! I also think somebody has my journal!_" she scrawled back, staring at him pointedly.

Lifting his brows, Draco tapped his chin with his quill. "_Why would they want your journal? Who would take your bag? Where'd you find it?_"

"_With what's been happening, it's full of EVERYTHING! About you, about me, about everything! Right now, many people would want to get their hands on it. Especially Skeeter, or whoever tipped her off! It was in the Gryffindor Common Room, stuffed under a chair cushion; empty._" Glancing at the other Gryffindor's in the room, her eyes were covered with suspicion.

"_You think one of your Housemate's did it?_" Turning around, he frowned at each of them, looking to see if anybody was eyeing her bag.

"_Nobody else would be able to get into Gryffindor Tower._" she reminded, glowering.

"_Right, then we make a list of who can get into both G Tower and our Tower._" he wrote back, nodding.

"_I don't like that idea_." she penned to him, biting her lip.

Furrowing his brow, Draco glanced up to see if the Professor had noticed anything, before turning back to the parchment and writing, "_Why?_"

"_Because in the end, someone close to me has betrayed me._" she wrote, just before class was dismissed.

Rolling up the parchment, Draco put in inside her book bag and wrapped an arm around her shoulder comfortingly. "Don't worry," he said, sighing. "We'll find it." Hearing a snicker, Draco's eyes glanced over to a glowering Ron Weasley. "Is there a problem Weasel?" he asked, glaring.

Hermione looked up at him and then back at Ron, shaking her head. "Can we please not fight, I don't think that will solve anything."

"Who cares what you think?" Ron said, turning his cold eyes on her.

Harry stood up, grabbing his books off the desk. "Let's go," he said, pushing Ron toward the door. His eyes never strayed to look at Hermione, his face staying free of emotion.

Sighing, Draco walked her out of the classroom. "One more and we're done," he said, taking her book bag off her shoulder and placing it on his own. "So what's so special about this journal?" he wondered, smiling down at her. "Does it admit your ever growing feelings for my handsome self?" he asked, grinning.

Swallowing, Hermione let out a nervous chuckle, biting her lip and hoping that he hadn't noticed the arse she just made of herself. "Of course not," she said, recovering and shaking her head. "I only write about handsome blokes with a sense of humor," she said, smirking.

Lifting his hand, he held it over his chest. "Right through the heart, Hermione," he said, with mock sadness. "When will you finally just admit that you are madly in love with me? That you want to marry me on a warm beach in May, and copulate until we have a dozen children?" he asked, smirking.

"Why May?" she wondered, looking up at him after ignoring his other comments.

"Because I'm due to marry Parkinson in June," he said, shrugging. "I figure we can both enjoy our single lives," he said, sighing. "Ahh how sweet it shall be until I'm tied down to you for all eternity," he said, trying his best to look completely morose.

Shaking her head, Hermione's brow furrowed. "But that will give Lucius enough time to try and get it annulled," she told him, frowning. "You want it to look legitimate to the Ministry, therefore, you must be married for some time before Lucius finds out and tries to cancel it out on you."

"How long is 'some time'?" he asked, directing them outside toward where Hagrid asked them all to meet for his Care of Magical Creatures class.

"I'm not sure," she said, sighing. "I mean, it's nearly December now," she reminded, nodding. "And you're to be married in June. What day, do you know?"

"The 26th," he told her, grimacing.

Nodding, Hermione tapped her chin. "Well, if you were to be married on December 25th, then by the day Lucius plans to haul you off to marry Pansy, you'll already have been in a steady marriage for more than six months," she informed him. "Even if it is just a day."

"On Christmas?" he asked, biting his lip. "And the Ministry won't cancel it?" he wondered, staring at her.

"I can't see why they would," she said, frowning. "I mean, six months seems a good time. And you are 17 making you technically an adult. It's only that you're in school that the Ministry might see fit for Lucius to do anything. Even then though, you'll have graduated by the time the wedding comes along."

Nodding, Draco fell into silence as he thought everything over. When they reached the class, his arm was still around her shoulders, too absorbed in his thoughts to remove it. Hermione didn't mind though, even if everyone was glaring at her. While Hagrid stood at the front, his arms wrapped around his large stomach, he grinned out at them happily.

"I've got a real treat for ya'll today," he told them, nodding. "Her name is Abraxnia," he informed them, holding his hand out and making a clicking noise with his tongue. Slowly a breed of winged horse trotted out. "Can anybody tell me wha she is?" he wondered, looking around for raised hands.

Hermione grinned, lifting her hand.

"Ah, 'ermione, go on then," he said, motioning for her to explain.

"It's an Abraxan; a gigantic, extremely powerful Palomino." Smiling, she stepped forward slightly, staring at the beautiful animal, taking Draco with her; who, though dazed, managed to keep himself from falling over. "Madame Maxime breeds them, plus the one's that pull her carriage are Abraxan's. They drink only single malt whisky and require forceful handling," she continued.

Her eyes swept over the light brown colour of her, her legs darkened to become a chocolate brown until just a few inches above her hooves, where they became white. Her tail was a long soft mane of white and dark brown, like that of the brushed strands hanging down the side of her head. Bright blue, enigmatic eyes stared at Hermione, almost begging her to come closer.

"Good job, 'ermione," Hagrid said, nodding. "Would anybody like to ride 'er?" he wondered, looking around. "Don' worry 'bout the forceful 'andling, I've got 'er under control!"

The class backed up, unsure about the possibility. Hermione was enthralled with looking at the animal so much that she hadn't stepped her and Draco back with the rest of the class, much like how Harry was left unknowingly when Buckbeak had been brought in. "Alright, 'ermione, Draco, you two can 'ave a go!"

"What?" Draco asked, looking around, coming out of his thoughts. "Wait what?" he asked, startled.

"Come along then," Hagrid said, grabbing Draco's free arm and dragging him and Hermione over to the calm animal. "She won't 'urt ya," he said, nodding. Reaching out his large hand, he pet her large head.

Draco looked down at Hermione, confused. "What's going on?" he asked, looking around still.

Not a moment later, Hagrid picked Draco up and dropped him on the back of the winged horse, then a second after, Hermione was put in front of him, staring around fearfully. "I hate flying," she said, leaning back against Draco and reaching for something to hold on to. "Let me down, I hate heights," she mumbled.

However, Hagrid wasn't listening, as he was talking to Abraxnia and patting her nose. "Right then," he said, walking to the back of the horse. "Kick your heels into her sides, Draco, hard as you can," he called out.

"Uh, I don't think I want to do that," he replied.

"Don't you dare," Hermione hissed, shaking her head. "I want off, I want off," she pleaded.

Tipping his head, Draco shrugged before digging his heels into the side of the flying horse, with as much force as he could muster, worrying that he may have hurt it. Abraxnia let out a loud neighing noise before lifting her wings out and flapping them around. Taking a running stance, she hurried across the open field and jumped up into the air. Hermione let out a loud, ear piercing scream. Turning her body half way around, she pressed her face into Draco's chest, shaking her head and clutching at him.

As they flew over the castle, Draco inhaled the wonderful air from such heights, he loved flying. While there wasn't much to hold on to for safety. Hermione had him pinned down rather tightly, her legs were wrapped around the neck of the horse, keeping them tight to the back of the horse. Draco only hoped it didn't try flipping over or anything. While they flew, he watched the scenery around him for a moment, rubbing Hermione's back to calm her.

After a few minutes, she was relaxed enough to lift her head off of him, but still kept her back against his chest, looking around them fearfully. "How long until we land?"

"No idea," he replied, smiling. Sighing, he wrapped his arms around her middle, leaning his chin on her shoulder. "Just enjoy it," he said, quietly.

"How can? I keep thinking I'm going to fall to my death," she said, her voice pinched with worry.

"I'd never let you fall," he said, rubbing her arms. "Trust me," he said, turning his face to hers. "Relax."

Inhaling deeply, Hermione closed her eyes for a moment, just feeling the cool air hit her face. Her hands wrapped around Draco's clasped one's on her stomach. Letting her shoulders down from their stiff position, she leaned back against his chest and tried to calm the nerves in her stomach.

"Hermione?" he asked, softly.

Finding herself at ease, she glanced over at him. "Hmm?" she asked, her eyes staring into his soft silver orbs.

"I've been thinking about what you said," he told her, turning his eyes out to the expanse of blue sky in front of them. "I can't marry Pansy," he said, shaking his head. "I don't want a loveless marriage like my mum's," he said, clenching his jaw. "I want to have a marriage like your parents," he admitted, smiling.

Chuckling, Hermione nodded. "Yeah, me too."

Entwining his fingers with hers, Draco sighed against her neck, closing his eyes. "In all seriousness," he said, squeezing her sides lightly. "Marry me?" he whispered.

* * *

**A/N** _I'm sure you saw that coming, lol. I'll update again soon! The flying horse's name was a tribute to one of my favorite reviewers, lol. Not that she's s gigantic horse, lol, it just fit with her name oddly enough. I hope you're enjoying this story, as well as **BITTT**. Please review, I'd really like to know what you all think!_

_Much love_,  
_**-Amanda**_


	7. Boundless Love

**Thank you so much to the following reviewers of **_Chapter Five_ - _**Ties That Bind**_: _m, Ice Angel10, Neville'sGirl4life, HermionexDracoshipper, Dizi 85, ProwlingKitKat, CarlylovesDraco, JpJr, Miss Vix, mskarijade, mskiti, eolcin8688, Odi et amo., cle be, Allie, RedRoseGrave, Ryoko of the Ink, VampyrKFM, mimi, Melissa, M03, Nicolette, hanvu, Kitsune Kida, HearYouMe, ayruh, **DramioneFan4EVER, dan-lovr, Zarroc, DawnaMalfoy, Abraxnia, Sarah Keteri, HelloLonely, Angel of Nature, **_and _especially** Loca4Anime**, **livelife-loveHGDM, Feltonluver4eva**_ and **_galloping-goose._**

**_Growing_**

_Chapter Six_

_Boundless Love_

Entwining his fingers with hers, Draco sighed against her neck, closing his eyes. "In all seriousness," he said, squeezing her sides lightly. "Marry me?" he whispered.

Momentarily shocked, Hermione didn't respond right away, instead she just tightened her grasp on Draco's hands, feeling her heart quicken; the beat flooding her ears. The fact that they were an immeasurable height above ground seemed to slip away from her, completely unimportant compared to the question being posed. There were so many reasons to tell him he was being foolish, to say that they could come up with another way. Yet there was something in the back of her thoughts, something connected to her heart, that told her it really wasn't as foolish as she was making herself believe.

Sensing her worry, Draco sighed, his shoulders falling. Licking his lips, he surprised her; rather than telling her to just forget it, to scrap the idea and pretend he hadn't said anything, he did the opposite. Picking up her entwined hands, he lifted them out to their sides. "This is our freedom," he told her, his breath tickling her cheek. Hermione's eyes fell closed out of instinct. "Below us, walking the halls of that school, students question us; they consider us to be something we're not," he reminded, without malice, but simply stating facts. "Out there, in the rest of the world, wizards and witches will forever wonder about our loyalty." Hermione shivered when his hands slipped out of hers, moving down her arms, his fingertips grazing her skin.

Swallowing, Hermione made her mouth form words. "We- We could change their minds," she told him, nodding her chin lightly. "We could tell our story, explain ourselves until people understand."

"We could," he told her, his hands slipping over her shoulders, fingertips slightly touching her neck. "And maybe they'll believe us; maybe they'll see the truth behind our words."

"But they'll never see us like they used to," Hermione finished, her chin quivering slightly. "We'll never hold the same place with them as we did, as we should."

"No," he agreed, quietly. His hands smoothed back down her shoulders, wrapping around her upper arms, dragging them down a bit. "We have the weight of society on our shoulders; ostracized for a friendship that we will never let go of," he said, his voice running over her with a silken rush. "And when every other person in this world looks at us, questioning our morals, the only person we can truly look to for the truth-"

"Is each other," she finished, nodding. The cool air was breaking out over her skin, she inhaled thickly, tasting the freedom it possessed.

"To marry Pansy, as vile as I believe it is, is something I will never do. Not just because I don't want to be paired off with her; a girl who has less brains than all the Barbie's of the Muggle world combined, but because I'm not that man any more. If I ever was," he said, sighing. "I will not be another Lucius Malfoy; I will not follow in his steps," he said, stiffly. "My life is not to be mapped out by him any longer."

Feeling his hands straighten out over hers, his fingers entwined with hers again, bringing about a sense of comfort, of trust and commitment. Hermione couldn't help the shiver of completion that ran through her; of welcomed tenderness. A gust of air pushed her hair back, the soft strands running over her neck, her shoulders, reminding her of the way his fingers delicately skimmed over her skin.

"If I had the answer to stop him from making me marry her, without pulling you into this, I would," he told her, a strand of his hair brushing over her ear. "I know it's a lot to ask you to give up marrying someone you love to the depths of your heart, but I promise you Hermione," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I vow to you, that there is nobody out there who will ever be there for you like I will."

Feeling his eyes on her, she let hers open, turning to stare into the silvery swirls that had always fascinated her. The intense look she found kept her eyes locked on his, searching for some kind of sign in them. She had no name for this sign, she just felt she had to look for it; that it was hidden somewhere in him, waiting to be found.

Bringing their arms back in, he hugged them around her, holding her tightly against him. "And if one day you find him, one day you find love in someone, then I'll let you go," he said, his voice quiet. "But now, in this moment, I ask you to marry me; your best friend." Swallowing, he licked his lips, almost drawing Hermione's eyes from his but the action was quickly over. "And I'll keep you safe through everything that comes our way. I'll fight for you, for us, every single day if that's what it takes." Shaking his head slightly, his eyes never strayed from the locked position on hers. "And who knows, maybe one day you'll love me like a real husband," he suggested, a tiny chuckle bubbling out of his throat, almost sad. "For now, settle for the boundless love of a friend, and I swear to you, we'll make it through this War, through everything."

Hermione suddenly heard the noise of her class below her, alerting her that they were about to return to reality, where life was anything but perfect. This was her chance to help him; his only chance at getting away from the plaguing torture of his father and live a life of relative normalcy. What was the cost? Eternal love for a friend. Was that really so much to ask for? Here sat the boy she had trusted for two and a half years, filled with loyalty and true camaraderie. He would never doubt her, would never think of less of her for any of her actions. He knew everything about her, from top to bottom; well, excluding the fact that she thought she might be growing feelings for him.

And it wasn't as if he would keep her in this marriage for all her life if she chose to leave, he was simply asking for her hand as a wife until... when? Voldemort was defeated? The war was over? His father no longer held power over him? Whenever it was, was she truly willing to be Hermione Malfoy for whatever length of time? Was she willing to be with him, to care for him in sickness and in health? To commit herself to him and only him, for what could be forever?

"Yes," she whispered, nodding slightly. "Yes, I'll marry you."

Letting out a sigh of relief, Draco let go of her hands to pull her head towards his shoulder, wrapping her in a strong, thankful, happy hug. His hands ran up and down her back, settling near her shoulder, to press himself closer to her. "We won't regret this," he breathed. "Any regrets we have to come, this will never be one of them. I promise you; I'll make you happy."

Nodding, Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers tangling in his hair. "I know," she said, quietly. "I know you will."

After classes ended, Draco walked around the school in a mild daze, feeling his shoulders were lightened but his heart had been loaded down heavily. He had a fiancé; a real one, not like that of Pansy. What this meant, he wasn't entirely sure. Were he and Hermione dating now? He never asked. Should he break up with Pansy? It sounded good to him, but perhaps he should ask his fiancé first? He was really enjoying the new title, it caused a smile to break out over his mouth. While he passed by the Great Hall, forgetting he was supposed to turn, he started saying it out loud. "Fiancé," he murmured, quietly. "I have a fiancé," he said, enjoying the ring. "My fiancé and I..." Grinning, he stuck one hand in his pocket, while gesturing with the other. "This is my fiancé, Her-"

"What are you doing?" a voice asked from behind.

Whirling around, Draco sighed when he found it was just Blaise. Sighing with relief, he stuck his other hand in his pocket. "Uh nothing, what are you doing?" he asked, lifting a brow.

"I was going to dinner, but then I heard you talking to yourself," he replied smirking. "Where's Princess?" he wondered, looking around.

"Hermione said she wanted to stop at the library, to pick up a book she needed for one of her classes," Draco replied, shrugging. "Why do you continue to call her Princess?" he asked, wrinkling his nose.

"I enjoy it," Blaise said, nonchalantly. "Why, does it bother her?"

"I don't know, she hasn't said anything about it." Shrugging his shoulders, Draco leaned against the cold concrete wall, his eyes running around the empty hall.

"Then why are you?" he wondered, tipping his head. "Are you jealous?" he asked, his mouth turning up in a smirk. "Maybe I was correct in thinking there was something more going on between you two," he suggested, his brows lifting with question. "Can't blame you, she's a beauty if I ever saw one."

Draco decided not to dignify any of his questions or comments with an answer, instead he pushed himself off the wall and nodded his head for them to go into the Great Hall for dinner. He didn't want to tell Blaise that he and Hermione were going to be married, as he wasn't sure if she wanted it known by anyone. Obviously it couldn't be getting around too much, or Lucius would find out and have it annulled immediately, if he couldn't stop it from happening in the first place. They would need witnesses though, at least two; so eventually Blaise would have to be notified.

While sitting down at his table, Draco moved food onto his plate with unseeing eyes; he was too lost in his thoughts to really pay attention to what he was doing. He was about to put his hand into a large bowl of incredibly hot mashed potatoes, but luckily Blaise had lifted his arm up, giving him a questioning frown. Making a noise as if he were clearing his throat, he shrugged uncommittedly and forced his mind to focus on the small task ahead of him.

After a short while, he felt like perhaps he was just over thinking things and needed to relax. Taking a deep breath, he resolved not to keep questioning everything. Unfortunately, that was when Hermione entered the Great Hall; half of her hair was pushed behind her shoulder, while the other half of soft curls was spread down the front of her, gently swaying by her side. Instead of even attempting the Gryffindor table, she smiled over at him and began making her way over. Draco hadn't realized he was staring, with his mouth slightly agape, until he felt Blaise nudge him, a knowing smile adorning his face.

Settling herself down on Draco's other side, she leaned over to say hello to Blaise, before beginning to fill her plate. "I hope you guys don't mind me sitting with you again," she said, shrugging. "I just didn't feel like watching them all spread out, purposely pushing me away."

"It's no problem, Princess," Blaise replied. "You're a welcome guest over here. I know I prefer you to most of the people sitting around me," he said, grinning.

Chuckling, Hermione glanced around at the scowling faces of the Slytherin table, finding that she really wasn't all that uncomfortable anymore. What with having two of the most popular boys' in the house as her friends, there wasn't any need to feel as if something might happen to her. Looking over to Draco, she found he had stilled in his movements for eating. "Something wrong?" she asked, lifting her brow with concern.

"He's been acting funny since I found him talking to himself in the hallway," Blaise told her, placing a hand on Draco's shoulder. "It's alright mate," he said, with mock sincerity. "Whatever it is, you can tell us. We won't make fun of you," he told him, nodding. "Unless it has anything to do with Parkinson," he said, his voice raising so the pug-faced girl would hear him. "I won't support you in anything you do with her. Girl's a right sour bit-"

"Blaise," Hermione interrupted, unable to stifle her grin.

"Sorry," he said, smirking. "Forgot there was a real lady at the table, please excuse my poor manners."

Draco rolled his eyes, shoving his best mate and looking over to Hermione. "I'm fine," he told her, assuringly. "Just got a lot on my mind."

"Okay," she said, nodding, still staring at him rather uneasily. "Well, I was thinking after dinner, we should... talk about a few things," she said, her brows lifting with a point.

Gulping his pumpkin juice, Draco stared at her out of the corner of his eyes, slightly worried. Licking his lips, he nodded. "Sure, right, fine," he said, hastily. Grabbing a roll and some ham, he stood up from the table. "I've got to do something first though," he said, lifting his arm and pointing behind him. "I'll meet you in the Head common room in a little while."

Staring up at him, confused, Hermione shrugged while nodding. "Alright," she said, slowly.

Nodding, Draco backed up, his eyes going back and forth between Blaise and Hermione, before he turned and hurried out of the Hall. Running a hand through his hair in frustration, he glanced over at the Gryffindor table, noticing Potter looking at him with a suspicious expression. Keeping his face impassive, Draco left the Hall and made his way out of the school completely, half running to the rock near the Black Lake. Climbing up, he plopped himself down with a sigh, staring out at the sheet of dark water, unrippling from nature. He had the urge to disrupt its calm appearance, scattering a rock or two make it corrupt like him.

He had no idea what he was doing; what he was thinking or even feeling. Hermione had been his best friend for over two years, a constant reminder that good still lived in the world. Growing up beneath Lucius' manicured thumb had made him rather calloused at times, made him unfeeling toward many people. Hermione had broken through that, however, showing him that he really could be his own person. After a few conversations, mostly consisting of his rude sarcasm, he found she wasn't taking the bait any longer, instead commenting back with words that hit at home. Not in a mean way, not in a way that would make him lash out irrationally. Instead, she asked questions about him; real questions. Wondering what made him the way he was, what made him feel like he had to break everyone down around him.

He owed it to his father as to why he finally submitted himself to Hermione; after receiving a letter from Lucius, telling him that he was a failure, that he wasn't living up to the Malfoy name, Draco finally had enough. He ran into Hermione, who was completely unknowing of his overwrought emotions and tireless hate for his father. He stopped her right in the wall, whirling her around and shouting in her face, with angry tears pouring out of his eyes. He screamed until his voice broke, shouting that his father never let him rest, never let him be a normal teenage boy. That he beat it into him every moment of every day how he was supposed to talk, to act, to walk, to think. He admitted everything to her, everything he could get out before his broke finally cracked along with his resolve. Falling to the ground in a heap of disappointment, he stared up at her, whispering hoarsely, "_I don't know how else to be._"

Right then, that was when everything changed; when he wasn't Malfoy the smarmy git anymore, and she wasn't Granger the know-it-all. They were just two people, one who wanted to help and one who needed help. After that, they began meeting in random places; the Astronomy Tower, the library, or they'd do rounds together as prefects. It hadn't taken long to fall into a comfortable, easy banter with her. Because he had broken down with her in the beginning, he found it easy to start talking to her freely about his life. He was rather surprised that she was so eager to be friends with him, no longer looking at him with suspicion, or even pity, but a sense of friendship that he really needed.

The summer after they had become friends, he had been more than excited to visit her world and spend an entire week living the muggle lifestyle. While his father would've completely blown up at him, screaming that he was dirtying himself with mudblood things, he found the whole thing fascinating. Using muggle technology, making his own food without the help of house elves, and really basking in a true family atmosphere, it was incredible. Their friendship had become a lasting bond, one that he wouldn't trade for anything in the world. From that summer on, she was his best friend; the only person he had ever known that he could talk to freely, without worry of prosecution for his thoughts. While Blaise had always been close to him, since they were just five years old, he didn't know Draco like Hermione did. He had only recently found out that Draco didn't care about blood purity at all, and that he had another best friend who wasn't pureblood or Slytherin. But Hermione, she knew everything; there wasn't any question about him that she couldn't answer, except for the ones milling in his head now.

He was going to marry her; have a wedding and pledge her as his wife. His best friend, the only girl who had ever really mattered to him. How much she mattered was another question though. He knew he loved her, more than anything else, but what kind of love he wasn't sure. He had always thought that he only felt friendship for her, but somewhere along the way, it seemed that had grown; to what, he still hadn't figured out. Perhaps their friendship was just more than others; maybe it was a higher sense of comradery, one that overshadowed all others. Or, there was always the possibility that this friendship they had bred over the years had slowly been morphing into something a whole lot more than either of them had anticipated.

Turning his head up, Draco stared at the glowing moon; inhaling deeply, he rolled off the rock and began making his way back up to the castle. He had a fiancé waiting with more questions that he probably had answers to; ones he couldn't even ask himself just yet. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Draco tipped his head down to cut through the biting November air, his cheeks already prickling from the swift wind. Walking through the hallways, he passed Luna Lovegood, who looked up and shot him a warm smile as she waved. Thrown off slightly at her comfort with him, he nodded his head in her direction.

Apparently, this was a cue for her to come over to him, as she sidled up beside him, her silver eyes hazy with the dreamy look that always seemed to be there. "I was on my way to see Harry in Gryffindor Tower," she informed him, glancing over. "You can imagine my surprise when I found myself over here. On the bright side, you seem to have wondered off the same way," she said, nodding. "Off to see Hermione, I imagine," she decided, nodding. "Tell her I said to watch out for nargles, mistletoe has been put up all over."

Before Draco could answer, he turned to see she had turned around and began walking the opposite direction. Shaking his head at the oddity of the girl, he continued on his way. Passing a few whispering portraits that pointed at him, he gave them a startling glare and bit back the rude words threatening to spill off his tongue. The halls were still empty, but he heard voices not far off, frowning when he recognized them.

"I know, Ron," Potter said, an exasperated tone to his voice.

"Come off it, Harry, you're really thinking about it, aren't you?" the weasel replied, half-shouting. "You're not really going to forgive her after all that she did, are you?"

Draco knew exactly what they were talking about and couldn't help but feel a slight triumph for Hermione at perhaps getting one of her friends back. He could hear their feet partly stomping down the hall in a hurried fashion. He wondered if maybe he should hide, but then thought himself far too proud to hide from the likes of them.

"I don't know. Can we just drop it?" Potter wondered, sharply.

"No," Weasley replied, shortly. "Because this is a big deal. We can't let her or anyone else think that we're willing to take just take back a traitor!" he shouted. "She went behind our backs, Harry! She cheated on us to be friends with that- that-" He growled with frustration.

Draco could see them now, but they hadn't seemed to notice him just yet. Crossing his arms, he continued walking, not alerting them to his presence. Partly hoping that they would say something he could reassure Hermione with, a little interested in them having nothing to do with her. Only because he didn't mind the thought of having her all to himself, with their constant interruption.

"I know what she did," Potter told him, turning his head and staring at his friend with dark eyes. "Partly, anyway," he said, somewhat under his breath.

Feeling good about his words, Draco let his shoulders rest a little. If Potter was willing to admit that he didn't know the whole story, then maybe one day he would actually ask Hermione for it. Perhaps in the future, Hermione wouldn't be as alone as she was now. Now that she was suffering too much; after all, she did still have him. Still though, he didn't want her to lose someone who meant so very much to her.

Nearing them, Draco decided he wasn't going to let them go on as if they didn't know he had heard them, instead alerting them to the fact that he had been nearby and could've heard some of it. "Lovegood's looking for you, Potter," he said, passing the boy who now had an expression of shock on his face. "She's already managed to get lost once, I wouldn't leave her to her own devices for too long," he called behind him. "Careful with that face, Weasley, you don't want to scare the first years," he said, not even glancing back.

Smirking, he felt good about the interaction, even if it was rather mean in the end. Passing a group of girls who giggled and pointed his way, Draco picked up his pace to get to the Head Tower, smiling slightly when he thought of his fiancé waiting for him. He really couldn't get past how much he enjoyed saying the word, which was slightly odd given he had been revolted when it referred to Pansy. Feeling a slight skip in his step, he told the portrait the password and walked into the Common Room to find Hermione pacing while chewing on her thumbnail.

"Both Henry and Jane would be aghast at what you're doing," he told her. "I can't imagine the germs beneath your nails are any good to be putting in you mouth, where your precious teeth lie." Because he'd spent so much time at Hermione's house over the summer, he was privy to information about his teeth that only two dentists could tell him. While it had grossed him out at first, he had fast learned to take care of his mouth very carefully. Flossing and brushing diligently, every morning, night, and when he had time during lunch. Hermione's mother constantly praised him for his newly learned habits, saying he had some of the best teeth she'd ever laid eyes on; he was a lot more proud of this then he'd admit to most people.

"I was nervous," she said, shrugging. "Draco, we're going to be married," she told him, emphasizing the last word. "One month from now, I'm going to have a husband," she reminded, shaking her head. Lifting her hands, she ran them through her hair. "Do we plan it? I mean, I don't want to have something quick and impersonal," she admitted, her voice raising a bit.

Walking across the room, he stood in front of her, making her stop her pacing and stare up at him with worried brown eyes."We'll have a beautiful wedding," he assured. "I'll owl the chapel situated just outside of Hogsmeade," he told her, nodding. "Reserve us a place for Christmas," he affirmed, nodding. "Tomorrow, we can sneak into town and look around for a wedding dress, if you'd like. And, we'll need witnesses," he reminded, lifting his hands to place on her shoulders. "I'm sure Blaise will do it, and you could ask Luna to be there; as long as they agree not to tell anyone."

Biting her lip, Hermione nodded, her nerves still frazzled but the questions slowly became answered, calming her slightly. Draco was rather proud of himself, feeling surprised that he actually came up with a good plan for their upcoming wedding. Rubbing her shoulders, he stared down at her, feeling an odd sensation in the pit of his stomach. "What haven't we thought of?" he asked, quietly.

"Vows?" she asked, her eyes looking down to his chest as she reached out, playing with a loose string near the middle button of his white shirt. "I- I'd really like it if we could write our own," she suggested, her eyebrows raising with hopeful query.

Smiling, he nodded. "That sounds like a great idea," he told her, softly. Running his fingers up and down her arms, he smiled when she began to relax. Pulling her against him, he hugged her tightly, placing his head on top of hers and breathing in her heavenly scent. Her silken curls made him shiver, his eyes fell closed as he held her, not noticing that he was rocking her side to side.

"We're really doing this," she whispered, her arms wrapped around his middle, palms pressed against his back. "We're really getting married," she breathed.

"Mmm," he agreed, turning his face down to kiss the top of her head. "That we are," he said, smiling. "I have a fiancé," he told her, grinning. "Go ahead, say it, it's really quite fun."

Chuckling, Hermione smiled up at him softly. "I have a fiancé," she repeated.

"Yes, well, I was really the best choice," he reminded, nodding. "I mean, honestly, where could you go wrong after my proposal? I'm completely sure that anybody who proposes to you from here on out, will never be able to top me," he told her, nodding. "A proposal while flying through the clouds on a winged horse? That's not an every day proposal, love," he assured, smirking.

Smiling with amusement, Hermione rolled her eyes before making herself look unaffected by his words. "Really, I've been proposed to so many times, it was like second nature to hear it come from you," she said, pulling away and waving her hand as if it was nothing.

"Yes, but none of them were nearly as handsome as me," he said, smirking. "Or as good with words," he reminded, nodding. "The only thing missing was a ring," he said, sighing. His brows perked before he turned and ran to his room.

"Where are you going?" she called out, confused.

Waving his hand at her, he hurried to his dresser, searching the top drawer for all of his mother's letters and souvenirs. Finally, he happened across the box she gave him when he was sixteen. "_For your future wife_," she had told him, a wobble of emotion in her voice. "_May she love you as much as you deserve_," she said, cupping his cheek. It was one of those few moments where she was motherly to him while he was at home. Running back out to the Common Room, he took Hermione's hand, smiling at her.

"What were you-" She stopped when he kneeled down in front of her.

"I think I should do this right," he said, smiling briefly. Swallowing, he stared up at her deep brown eyes. "Hermione Jane Granger," he said, using his thumb to pop open the black box in his hand. "Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Chuckling, tears milling in her eyes, Hermione kneeled down in front of him. "It would by my honor," she replied, smiling at him.

Taking the ring out, Draco slipped it onto her finger, smirking at the gasp that emitted from her mouth. His family was known for its wealth, so it wasn't surprising that her engagement ring was worth more than her house four times over. It had a pear-shaped emerald coloured diamond in the center, a round diamond sat on either side of it, and the band was silver, made of two snakes coiled around each other. The head of each snake ended where the side diamonds started; despite its rather lethal band, it was an incredibly beautiful heirloom that had been passed down in the Black family, simply waiting for the right heir to give away. He was fairly sure that the Black family would be incredibly angry with him for giving it to a muggleborn, but he could care less what they thought at that moment.

Hermione stared down at the ring that perfectly fit her delicate finger, before looking up at him and shaking her head. "This is far too much for me, Draco," she said, her eyes wide. "I can't even imagine how much this ring costs. I-"

Lifting a finger, he placed it against her mouth. "It doesn't matter," he told her, shaking his head. "If you're going to be my wife, you're going to have to get used to thinks like this, because I really enjoy spending money," he said, chuckling. "Which means you'll be showered with gifts."

"You don't have to do that for me," she mumbled around his finger. "I don't want you to spend all your galleons on me, I just want... I just want us to be happy," she said, quietly. "I want you to have a life that isn't ruled by the Malfoy name or any of your father's orders." Shaking her head, she reached up, placing her hands on his shoulders. "I want, beyond anything, for this friendship to never change, because I can't, I refuse, to lose you."

Hugging her, Draco buried his face into her shoulder, sighing. "You'll never lose me," he told her, softly. Leaning back, he kissed her forehead. "Now, do me a favor, just one request," he said, staring into her eyes.

"Anything," she said, nodding.

"Keep that ring," he told her, cupping her cheek and rubbing his thumb over it slowly. "We're engaged now, so you have to have a ring," he told her, simply, smirking.

Chuckling, Hermione nodded slowly. "Alright," she agreed.

"Good," he said, taking her hands and pulling her from the floor. "Now, any more business to tend to?"

Crossing her arms, Hermione tapped her chin. "Well, yes," she said, frowning. "What do we do about Pansy?" she wondered.

* * *

**A/N** _I hope you've all enjoyed this, I really liked writing it. Let me know what you're favorite part was! I hope to update again soon! Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! Please do so again! Thanks, you're all wonderful_

_Much Love,  
**-Amanda**_


	8. Slytherin Women Eat Their Prey

**On the hopeful question of a wonderful reviewer **_Feltonluver4eva_** I've decided to add the most insightful review to each chapter for this story also **

**Review offering insight to the story:**

_"You do a beautiful job sculpting these two into something that would never be created if not for you and your genius. You have a gift with creating these two and the scenes shared between them. Keep it up, as I am wholly confident you will! As always, I look very much forward to your next update so my heart can swell just that much more." **- JustYourAverageReviewer**_ of FanFiction net

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**_Growing_**

_Chapter Seven_

_Slytherin Women Eat Their Prey_

Crossing her arms, Hermione tapped her chin. "Well, yes," she said, frowning. "What do we do about Pansy?" she wondered.

There was part of Hermione that really felt bad for the girl, and another that loathed her completely, wishing she could grow a brain and leave Draco alone. It was a complicated issue, as Pansy had been Draco's 'girlfriend' for quite a long time. Though he really, truly disliked the girl and all that she entailed, he never went against his father enough to tell her to leave him alone. That's not to say he ever acted the role of boyfriend, really he simply ignored her at all costs, hoping she'd lose interest. For some strange reason though, Parkinson's ardor for him only grew, until it became almost like an obsession to have him.

Frowning, Draco lead her over to sit down on the couch. "I suppose I can't just keep pretending she doesn't exist," he asked, hopefully.

Hermione wondered exactly what it was in her that wanted for him to break up with Pansy so badly; it almost felt like jealousy, but that would be absurd. Not only did she only view Draco as being her best friend, not a love interest, but Parkinson of all witches, was the last she thought she'd ever be jealous of. It was likely just because of her pity for the girl and her odd love for Draco, that Hermione wanted him to let her down. Or it could be that she didn't think Draco should have to be stuck with the girl any longer than needed. Possibly, a more logical reason would be that were the Ministry to see that Draco was still dating Pansy during the time of his and Hermione's marriage, they might think their joining was a hoax.

Shaking her head, Hermione gave him a reproving look. "Now I'm not saying that you have to tell her we're engaged, that would completely ruin our entire plan," she said, biting her lip. "I'm just saying that perhaps you shouldn't lead her on for the rest of the year."

"I've been leading her on since I was fourteen, I don't think seven months is going to make a difference," he told her, sighing. "It's not my fault she doesn't get the fact that I'm not interested."

"Well, it's probably because you've basically been promised to her," Hermione told him, patting his leg. "She's got it in her head that one day you're going to turn around and pledge your undying love for her," she said, her face twisting into a sour expression.

Snorting, he moved his mouth as if her words caused a foul taste. "That would never happen," he replied, thoroughly disgusted by the idea.

"Yes, but she doesn't know that," she reminded, rolling her eyes. "I think the only way you're going to get it through to her, is to actually tell her you'd like to break up."

Nodding, Draco ran his hands over his face, leaning forward. "What do I say when she asks why?"

"Tell her the truth, in portions," she said, nodding. Her hand reached out, running up and down Draco's back unconsciously, trying to make him relax. "Tell her you're really not interested in having a relationship with her, and while you know that you two are engaged," she made air quotes with her free hand, "you'd really like to enjoy your last few months of school unattached."

"What if she freaks out? Sobbing and shouting," he suggested, shuddering.

"Run," Hermione said, seriously. "Look," sitting forward, she turned to him, "there is no easy way to tell her that you don't want to be with her. Her whole world revolves around you as being her perfect boyfriend, fiancé, future husband, etcetera. But there's no way you can keep letting her think this, not when you are so obviously not going to marry her."

"This is just an elaborate plan for you to have me all to yourself, isn't it," Draco joked, lifting his brow. Becoming serious, he frowned. "You realize that without Pansy as my girlfriend, I'm seen as open game for the rest of the girls here at Hogwarts."

"Hopefully, they'll stay away from you because of the recent news circulating about us," she said, nodding. "And really, if I were worried about you being with someone else, Pansy would be the last person I would consider," she told him, chuckling.

Turning to her, all traces of humor had melted away. "I'm not going to stray," he told her. "I mean, after the wedding, before it, I really take this seriously. While we're together, I'm not going to date anyone else. I'm not going to... well you get the idea," he said, running his hand over his face. "If you want to, I understand, but for me... it's just us."

Hermione couldn't describe the slight jump her heart seemed to make then, finding that she had actually relaxed quite a bit at his announcement. There were so many questions surrounding their marriage to each other still left unanswered. He had just given her the response she had dearly needed, though she hadn't even known she really cared. It was odd knowing that she was going to be married to him, given they hadn't even dated. Sure, they knew each other inside out, top to bottom, but the intimacy part was rather hazy. She hadn't dated anyone since Viktor Krum, really, and that had been a mini disaster all on its own.

Draco's promise though, his commitment to her, was so endearing and rather fitting, that she came to realize she too was willing to do the same for him. It wasn't as if she had her eyes set on dating anyone lately anyway, especially with the fact that everyone thought her a deceptive traitor. He was right though, it was basically just them, and that didn't scare her as much as perhaps it should.

"Agreed," Hermione said, smiling softly. "No dating, no snogging others, or anything past that." Swallowing, she stared at him seriously. "I'm all the way in, Draco."

"Good," he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Because I think I may be the jealous husband type," he said, smirking. "You never know what I'll do. You could be talking to Blaise one day, and the next, you'll find he looks like a hairless goat." Grinning at her, he sighed. "It's a hard business being a husband, but I'll plow through!"

"Yes, I'm sure you'll have a terrible time with it. Such hard work for you," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Think about it," he told her, tipping his eyes to the side. "I'll have to find a job, eventually, find us a suitable house, fight in the Final Battle, keep women from fawning over me constantly, make you laugh every day-"

"That one's easy, have you ever seen your hair in the early morning?" she asked, chuckling.

Rolling his eyes, he ignored her and continued with his list, "-keep my friendship with Blaise going, as I don't want to become that husband that has absolutely no life at all, fend off your saucy attacks because you never want to stop shagging, and all this before I'm eighteen. Well that's to say if the Final Battle happens soon, which I have no doubt it will." Tapping his temple, he fell into his thoughts.

"Fend of my saucy attacks because I never want to stop shagging you?" Hermione asked, amused.

Grinning, he returned his attention to her. "We both know it's true," he said, nodding. "You can admit it, love, the best part about this is that we'll be able to shag without worrying about our friendship. I mean, after all, we're going to be married. If our friendship can survive that, then it can certainly make it through a very thorough, very enjoyable, timeless night of exhausting passion," he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

Laughing, Hermione waved her hand in the air. "Oh stop, I'll die of laughter and you'll be stuck marrying Parkinson," she said, choking on her amusement.

"Shut up," he muttered, pushing her over.

After her laughter had died down, Hermione sat up, patting his arm. "It's alright Draco, I'm sure our timeless night of thoroughly enjoyable passion will be wonderful," she told him, her lips lifting in a smile.

"You forgot exhausting," he told her, wrapping his arm around her back and pulling her against his side. "Really Hermione, have faith. It may be my first time, but I'm almost completely sure I was born to do it," he said, smirking.

"Oh honestly," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. Standing up, she stretched her arms above her head, letting out a grunt and rubbing her shoulder. "I think not having my book bag on my shoulder has actually caused it to hurt," she told him, wincing as she moved her arm around.

"Come here," he told her, motioning for her to sit on the ground in front of him.

Sitting down between his legs, she practically moaned when his hands began kneading into her shoulders and rubbing her neck. Her eyes fluttered closed while her head lolled forward, a faint smile playing at her lips. His long fingers pressed into all the right places, pushing away the pain that had been bugging her for some time. She knew he was smirking, he always was when he found himself doing something that made him seem superior. When his fingers lightly grazed the skin of her neck, she shivered; biting her lip, she hoped he hadn't noticed.

Draco's hands slowly made it down the rest of her back, giving her a thorough and completely satisfying rub down. She wasn't even sure she could stand by the time he was done, her entire body was buzzing with relaxation. Telling Draco this, she found herself enjoying the ring of his laughter a little more than usual.

"I'll take you to bed then," he told her, standing up and slipping his arms beneath her before hauling her against his chest high in the air.

"I bet you've been wanting to say that for years," she joked.

Laughing, Draco grinned. "I won't have to wait very long for it to be a more literal term though, will I? What with you being my wife in a month, I-"

"Your what?" came a voice from the portrait door.

Draco whirled around, Hermione still held in his arms tightly. He almost sighed when he realized it was Blaise, but found his best friend staring at him with an expression of quickly hidden hurt. "We were planning on telling you," Draco told him, quickly. "We only agreed this afternoon, and it's not what you might think." Crossing the room, Draco almost forgot he had Hermione with him. "My father has already promised me off to marry Parkinson this June."

Blaise grimaced, his eyes settling on Hermione's face.

"Obviously I can't marry her," Draco told him, shaking his head vehemently. "So I asked Hermione to be my wife instead," he stated as if it explained everything.

Blaise blinked slowly, waiting for further explanation. "Princess, would you care to fill in the blanks?" he asked, crossing his arms.

Nodding, Hermione patted Draco so he would put her down, her legs were still a little wobbly so she held onto an arm on each of the guys beside her. A smile settled on her features, "You know Quidditch has really done wonders for you two," she told them squeezing their biceps. "I find I don't dislike the game as much I did before."

Chuckling, Blaise stared at her with amusement.

Draco frowned at Blaise before returning his gaze to Hermione.

"Oh right," she said, clearing her throat and coming back to the topic at hand. "Well, Draco and I thought it over, and we really can't find any way for him to get out of marrying Parkinson without completely hiding out from his father for fear of death," she explained. "Because he's promised to Pansy, the Ministry might not be able to help Draco get out of it. So, we decided that his getting married to someone else would stop any future wedding to Parkinson." Sighing, she nodded. "Then we decided, were he to be married for six months, it would seem much more legitimate to the Ministry and they wouldn't annul it like Lucius will try and force happen."

"Okay," Blaise said, slowly. "Most of this makes some twisted sense," he agreed, nodding. "But why you two?"

"Who else would be willing to marry him?" Hermione joked. "This way, it's between friends, so in the end, there isn't going to be a nasty split up where his Malfoy wealth goes to some greedy bint. Plus," sighing, she looked up at him. "We're in this together. It's our fight overall, so why not do is together?"

Picking her hand up off his arm, Draco showed Blaise the engagement ring, which had an odd effect. Hermione watched as Blaise's eyes narrowed for a second, staring at the ring and the glancing at Draco, a questioning expression. Almost as if he knew something, but wasn't sure if he should bring it up. Draco shook his head at him, before rubbing his thumb over her hand and putting it back on his bicep.

"You realize what marriage entails though right, I mean it's not just holding hands and quick pecks on the lips," Blaise reminded. "And what about Parkinson?"

"We know what it means," Draco said, nodding, a small smile on his mouth. "As for Pansy, well we've decided that I'm going to break up with her. Ask her for a 'break' until we're supposed to get married," he explained shrugging.

"But she's a crazy Slytherin ice bitch," Blaise reminded, staring at him as if he were delusional. "They eat their prey!" he half-shouted, sounding serious.

Hermione chuckled, covered her mouth with her hand.

"He's not kidding, kind of," Draco told her, shaking his head. "She'll likely try and kill me..." Shrugging, he looked unaffected. "I'll just add her to the growing list of people who want me dead." Glancing down at Hermione, he sighed. "How many is that, love?"

"Hatefully speaking, or those who'll really try?" she wondered, tipping her head.

"Those who'll really try," he said, nodding.

"Four or five, if you don't include those sent to kill you by the people who for the moment despise you," she replied, biting her lip.

"Four or five?" Blaise asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Voldemort, Lucius, Parkinson, Ron, and a wizard, bagel man in London," she told him, sighing.

"There are two in there I don't take seriously, guess which one's," Blaise said, frowning.

"I don't know," Hermione said, letting their arms go to cross hers over her chest. "Ron's hated Draco for years, though at the moment he seems to hate me more." Shrugging, she glanced back and forth between him and Draco. "He was the iffy one anyway. The bagel man is a definite," she assured.

"Why is a man who makes bagel out to kill you?" Blaise asked Draco.

"It was a misunderstanding," he said, vaguely.

"Oh it was not," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "Draco asked for a specific bagel but the man refused to give it to him, telling him he was not worthy. So Draco told him he would turn him into his life's work and feed him to the rats in the alley way. Long story short, there was an explosion of bagels when they got into a duel, thousands of bagels were destroyed. Obviously, Draco and I had to run for our lives, as the man was trying to _Avada_ him right there in the street, in front of muggles. What was it he yelled again?" she asked, looking up at Draco.

"Come back here you little bagel nazi, I'll kill you! I'll kill you! Mark my words, you're dead," Draco repeated, cocking his eyebrow. "All I wanted was one bagel, and he had to take it to extremes."

"You blew up a bagel shop," Blaise repeated, shaking his head. "For one measly bagel."

"It was the principle of the thing," Draco replied, seriously. "He told me I wasn't worthy of my bagel, so obviously I couldn't let that pass. It's not my fault that his dueling abilities were poorly practiced. He basically blew up his own shop," he told him, adamantly.

"You're unbelievable," Blaise said, shaking his head with a smirk. "Good luck marrying this bloke," he said, smiling at Hermione.

Chuckling, Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "I've dealt with his oddities for years now, as long as they don't progress to real restaurants, I think I'll be alright," she said, smirking.

"Yes, yes, she's really suffering. You know, it's not as if she's really losing out. She's marrying not only the richest and smartest guy in the school, but definitely the best looking," he told them, smirking.

"And modest too," Hermione added, smiling.

"I don't know, I've been told I'm the better looking Slytherin," Blaise bugged, winking at Hermione. "Perhaps Princess should marry me, and we'll set you up with Bulstrode. She's always fancied you," he continued, a glint of amusement in his eye.

Draco snorted, an annoyed twitch of his lips told Hermione he wasn't entirely amused, but wasn't going to lash out. "I've always thought you and Bulstrode were a better fit," he told him, nodding. "In fact, I heard that her father was petitioning your mother about a possible marriage in the future!"

Paling, Blaise stared at him suspiciously. "You're lying," he accused. Glancing at Hermione, he stared at her hopefully. "Tell me he's lying," he asked.

Shrugging, Hermione glanced between the two. "I have no idea if he is or not," she lied, enjoying Draco's small display of torture toward his friend.

Biting his lip, Blaise backed up to the portrait door. "I have to go... somewhere," he said, vaguely. "I'll see you later," he told them, before darting out of the room.

"That was mean," Hermione said, smiling still.

"My work is never really done," he told her, bending down to pick her back up. "I'm glad he knows though," he said, walking her toward her room.

"Me too," she agreed, nodding. "Now I just have to tell Luna. Maybe tomorrow I'll invite her here so we can talk."

"Sounds good," he said, twisting the handle to her door and pushing it open with his back. "When do you want to look for your dress?" he wondered, laying her down on the bed gently.

"I was thinking about that," she told him, staring up at his face as it hovered just above her a few inches. For a moment, she lost herself staring at him; the moonlight was the only thing lighting the room, as the candles hadn't been lit yet. His hair dangled down, brushing his cheek; the silver of his eyes were flashing and swirling in a mesmerizing fashion. She was drawn in by his handsome features, suddenly understanding why Pansy and all the other girls had become so enthralled with him.

"Yes," Draco asked, breaking her out of her thoughts.

Clearing her throat, she glanced away for a moment, trying to collect herself and hoping he couldn't see the blush that had settled over her cheeks. "Well, it has always been a tradition that the groom not see the bride in her dress until the actual wedding," she reminded, biting her lip. "So I was thinking, maybe I could get my dress with Luna, that way it'll be a surprise when you see it."

Smiling, Draco nodded. "I like this whole traditional thing we have going on, even if we're not the most traditional bride and groom," he told her, sighing. "Anything you think will make this wedding better, I fully support," he told her, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "Let me know when you're going, so I can give you the money for the dress."

Hermione's eyes flashed, "Oh, I'm sure I could pay for it."

"Hermione," Draco said, sighing. "First of all, do you have any idea how much a wedding dress costs? It'll break you, and that's a cheap one. Secondly, we talked about this whole you're being my wife, meaning what's mine is yours. So when you really think about it, my money is your money." Throwing his arms up, he shrugged. "So I'll give you some of our money, to go out and get your dress whenever you're ready."

Sighing, Hermione bit her lip, unsure.

Reaching out, Draco smoothed his thumb over her lip, causing her to stop chewing on it. "Really, I want you to have the best dress possible. Just accept this from me, alright?" Slowly, she nodded, causing him to smile before standing up. "Now, I have some business to attend to with my soon to be ex-girlfriend."

Sitting up, Hermione stared at him with wide-eyes. "You're doing that tonight?" she asked.

Nodding, Draco stuffed a hand on one of his pockets. "I see no point in waiting, might as well get it over as quick as I can," he told her, shrugging.

"You're sure she won't do anything to... hurt you, right?" she wondered, staring at him, concerned.

"The most she'll do is scream my ears off until I'm deaf," he told her, backing up to the door. "So learn sign language while I'm gone," he said, smirking as he closed her bedroom door.

Sighing, Hermione fell back on her pillow, lifting her hands to run them over her head. She had no idea what it was, but she was feeling something entirely different for Draco lately. The wedding rather excited her, making her heart speed up and a smile surface on her mouth. Thinking of a possible future with him always made intelligent, logical sense slip away from her grasp. Sometimes, it was almost as if she forgot she was marrying her best friend, but the actual love of her life. What scared her though, was that it really wasn't that scary at all.

* * *

Draco walked to the portrait hole with a sluggish worry weighing him down. It wasn't that he didn't want to break up with Pansy, it had been a dream of his since he was fourteen years old. However, now that it was about to happen, he was beginning to worry about her reaction. She was on the list of people that were sure to try and kill him for what was going to change for a reason. Some may think it absurd that a seventeen year old girl could murder someone simply for breaking up with them and trying to get out of marrying them. Parkinson was different though; evil, crazy, and obsessive different 

All of their 'relationship' had been this made up story by Pansy, she'd tell everyone who would listen that Draco was the best boyfriend known to the Wizarding world. She'd go on about gifts he bought her, that he never did, or dates he'd taken her out on, though he'd never taken her in public on purpose. She even made up an elaborate story of how he proposed, which he never did. She didn't even have a ring from him, as his mother had given it to him a while back but he never had the heart to soil it by putting it on Pansy's finger.

While Lucius had big plans of how Draco was going to marry into one of the richest and most known pure-blood families, Draco never wanted that. He didn't want to so much as see Pansy in the hallway, let alone date or marry her. It'd taken a long time, but he'd perfected his 'relationship' with her as best he could. She obeyed when he told her to leave him alone, at least as much she could. It usually took her a day or two to come back, begging for attention. Every story that she told, he'd counteract with an explanation of her pathetic ways. It was well known that Draco did not like Pansy, nor did he tolerate her insufferable actions. And while most people considered him a single boy with a stalker, girls tend to stay away simply because said stalker was a huge jealous problem.

A year ago, he had been talking to Hannah Abbott about a project they had been forced to work together on, Pansy had seen them studying in the library. The next morning, Abbott had woken up to find all of her hair had fallen out, due to a potion placed in her shampoo. It took a few weeks before she had her hair back and they received a poor mark on their project because Abbott refused to stand within twenty feet of him.

The summer before sixth year, Draco had been walking through a muggle village when Pansy spotted him talking to a muggle fruit stand woman ten years his senior. Draco later passed by her stand to find her covered in gruesome boils, sobbing her eyes out while people pointed and yelled, "Epidemic!" Hospitals and cops were called, as they were sure some kind of disease had broken out because the women's skin had drastically changed in a matter of seconds, scaring everyone. Having to put an end to Pansy's idiocy, Draco sent a _Finite Incantatem_ over to the poor woman, and then found Pansy to yell at her for being a right stupid bint.

Then, there were the few times she had noticed him talking to Hermione civilly. He had worked his best to keep her from thinking anything was going on, but Pansy was adamant on putting 'the mudblood' in her place. Of course, Hermione could handle herself, so nothing really went far when Parkinson tried anything, not that she stopped; still hasn't really. Just last week, she tried sending her a letter that would explode with green goo that would cause Hermione's skin to change colours and burn. Unfortunately for Pansy, her owl is as clueless as she is and dropped the black envelope on Ginny Weasley's porridge.

Finding himself pacing in front of the Slytherin dungeon portrait hole, Draco finally decided there was no better time to do this, so he said the password and walked in. "Pansy!" he called out, turning his head up to the stairs leading to the girls' dorms. "Get down here!"

It didn't take long, as she responded to whatever he said almost instantly, except for whenever he told her to leave him alone and stop cursing innocent women. Dressed in a skimpy black nightie, she half ran down the stairs, a hopeful grin on her face and glint of lust in her eyes as she licked her lips. Draco's stomach lurched, he wasn't sure he could hold his dinner down any longer. Closing his eyes, he tried to imagine nice things so he wouldn't actually vomit on her. Oddly enough, a picture of Hermione popped into his head, one that caused him to blush slightly. He hadn't mean to conjure up the thought of her naked when her towel slipped from around her, but there it was in his head.

Clearing his throat, he opened his eyes and hoped he didn't look nearly as embarrassed as he felt, his skin was warming up from blushing. Glancing over at Pansy, he felt all the good feelings he had thinking of Hermione slip away again. However, his stomach had settled, so now he was sure he wouldn't offend her too much, at least not much more than he could after breaking up with her.

"Oh Dracie, you don't have to be embarrassed," she said, walking forward and reaching out to him. "If you'd like, I'll get rid of this nightie right here!"

"NO!" he shouted, his eyes widening with fear. "I mean, no, keep it on. I didn't come here for... _that_," he said, grimacing with disgust. "We need to talk," he told her, motioning to the couch.

Sighing, she drug her feet over and plopped down on the couch with irritation. Lifting her hands, she began looking at her nails with mild interest. "Is this about the letter I sent the mud-," glancing up, she noticed his angry glare, "I mean, your little friend?"

"No," Draco told her, leaning back against the cold fabric of the Common Room couch.

A fire was burning brightly, but it never warmed the dungeons like it should. The one in the Head Tower always made the room nice and toasty, he wondered if maybe he and Hermione could sleep in front of it one night, but then realized his thinking was ill thought out. He was looking at her more as a girlfriend that his best friend. Even if she was his fiancé, she probably wasn't thinking of him in the way he'd been her lately.

"Look, about this whole wedding thing going on in June-" he started, leaning forward so his elbows were on his knees.

"Oh Draco, I can't wait for it," she said excitedly, clapping her hands together. "You know what I'm really looking forward to, though?" she wondered, her eyes flashing. "The honeymoon!" she told him, grinning.

His stomach lurched again, causing him to blanche and clutch his stomach. Managing a chuckle, he looked away from her. "Right," he said, sighing.

Closing his eyes, he tried to imagine anything but Pansy and him on a honeymoon. His mind was out to get him, however, because instead of Pansy, he saw Hermione, sprawled out on a bed, the sheet the only thing covering her as she slept peacefully. For a moment, he wondered what they were going to do for a honeymoon, or if they were even going to have one. Traditionally, they should, as all the other preparations had stated so. Maybe they could spend Christmas break somewhere; some place warm and sunny, but cool at night, so they could leave the deck doors open. Finding he was getting far too enthralled with planning his wedding with Hermione, he once again cleared his throat and returned his attention to Pansy.

"It'll be incredible," she told him, scooting closer and reaching out to put her hand on his thigh, moving it too high for his comfort.

Jumping out of his seat, Draco shook his head. "Alright," he said, becoming slightly irritated. "This has to stop!"

Pouting, she crossed her arms and stared up at him with frustration. "I don't get you Dracie! We've been together three years and you never want to do anything!"

"Bloody hell, Pansy, are you completely daft?" he shouted, finding that the words he'd always wanted to say to her were just spilling out of his mouth now. "The only reason I so much as put up with you is because my father made me!" he reminded.

"You were promised to me, Draco Malfoy, so you can't back out of anything," she told him, jumping to her feet. "Don't think you can talk to me like this! I'm your fiancé!"

"No," Draco shouted. "You're not," he told her, shaking his head. "I'm not dating you, I'm not engaged to you, and I'm sure as bloody hell not marrying you!" he yelled, cutting his arms through the air in a finalling motion. "Whatever idea's you have in that empty little head of yours, you can just forget! Because I'm not your boyfriend, Parkinson!"

"Dracie," she screeched, balling her fists and glaring at him. "You are mine! You'll always be mine! Our father's made an agreement, and I'm not going to let you out of it! No matter what you say, or what you do, you will always be my Dracie!"

"First of all, I absolutely despise the name 'Dracie,'" he said, lowly, stepping forward with thinned eyes. "Secondly, I could care less what our father's agreed on, because I'd rather chew my own leg off than marry you!" he told her, standing to his full height. "Thirdly, I'm so bloody tired of you going on about how you love me and I'm yours. I was never yours and you sure as hell were never mine." Shaking his head, he glared down at her. "You are just this annoying obsessive stalker who won't let me have one minute of rest. I'm tired of it, I'm sick of you! I want you to stay away from me!"

Swinging her hand back, Pansy let it go painfully across Draco's face. "You pay close attention, Draco Malfoy," she said, her voice low and rather scary; were he not an incredibly strong and intelligent wizard, he might be worried, but he wasn't. "There is only one thing in this world that I want, and it's you. So you can storm around here, yelling at me and telling me that you want nothing to do with me. But in the end, you are promised to me and me alone. No matter what you do, or who you think you love, you will marry me come late June. And for the rest of my life, you will never, ever doubt the fact that I'm the perfect woman for you."

"You are bloody insane," he told her, staring into her eyes. Turning from her, he walked to the portrait door, glancing back. "Have a nice life, Parkinson, I know without you in mine, it'll be grand!"

Crossing her arms, Pansy turned to him just as he was about to leave. "If you think my little attacks on your mudblood lover were pathetic in the past, just you wait to see what's going to happen, Draco. I'm not going to lose to a conniving, know-it-all bitch like her."

Draco's face darkened as he turned to her. "You would do well to remember, Parkinson, that I have a very nasty temper," he reminded, his voice low and dangerous. "Anything happens to her, and I can guarantee I'll do that same to you, tenfold."

"Do you think I'm scared, Draco?" she asked, cocking her eyebrow and smirking at him. "The only one who should be afraid is your little mudblood whore."

"The only whore I know is you," he said, simply.

Turning, he walked out the door, but not before he head her call out, in her high pitched nasally voice. "Watch your back, you never know who's waiting to stab you."

Clenching his jaw, Draco left for the Head Tower, feeling a heavy load of issues on his shoulders. He didn't want to make more enemies, but it seemed like it was all he was really good at. If it were at all possible, Potter and the Weasel hate him even more. His father was out to beat some semblance of 'sense' into him, and the entire school had labeled him as a traitor. Though most should be happy that he wasn't on the Dark side, they were mostly upset that he had 'corrupted' their perfect Gryffindor princess. And now, if everything else weren't enough, he had to deal with a crazy ex-girlfriend out to kill his fiancé.

The title never got old, he was rather putout by the fact that he wouldn't really be able to refer to Hermione as such except in front of Luna and Blaise, and even then it had to be at a minimum as someone could hear. Then he decided to try out 'wife.' He would certainly have to call her such in the future, as they would still be married for some time; at the very least, until the Final Battle had been won. Wife, he repeated over and over in his head, moving his lips but not letting it come out completely.

Glancing around, he made sure the halls were empty. "This is my wife," he announced, gesturing to his side. "Have you met my wife, Hermione?" he asked outloud, wondering what situation he'd have to be in for him to introduce her that way. Thinking it over in his head, he tried to come up with sentences that would be reason for him to call her by the title. "My wife's name is Hermione. My wife and I were married on Christmas. I married my wife when I was but seventeen." Nodding, he smiled slightly at the words tumbling out of his mouth. "I'm afraid I have to get home to my wife, she hates it when I'm late for dinner." He wondered if they would fall into one of those schedules families have, where dinner's around a certain time and things become a natural flow.

His favorite so far, had to be, "Of course I'm tired, I was shagging my wife all night." Though he highly doubted he would ever end up saying it, simply because she'd throttle him for telling someone that, he still enjoyed the idea. Just as he was about to reach the Head Tower, one more sentence came out without him even thinking it through. "I love my wife."

Stopping in mid-step, Draco's face became clear but his thoughts were running a mile a minute. Saying the four words were different than usual; loving his best friend, loving Hermione, those were normal. Loving his wife though, that was a whole other deal. He was marrying his best friend, he was going to call Hermione his wife. Shouldn't this be weird? Shouldn't thinking of it be scary and slightly disappointing? After all, he wanted a marriage of love, like Hermione's parents. So what was he doing? Sure, he loved Hermione; she was the most important person in his life, but this was just ruining them in the long run. What if their friendship was irrevocably screwed up? What if he truly gained feelings for her, but she didn't reciprocate them?

Then a thought hit him; what if he already had developed feelings for her? It would explain why the thought of terminating their marriage one day rather bothered him. Or why Blaise's offhanded joke about her marrying him instead annoyed him to no end. And why the thought of kissing her, of making love to her, always seemed like the right choice, rather than any one else. All those years he spent with Pansy, avoiding her pleading mouth and wandering hands, he had always thought that he'd rather Hermione in her place. He never really considered these thoughts wrong though; like he'd said before, when Pansy pressured him to sleep with her, he began work on the courage to ask Hermione to be his first instead. Of all the girls around him, willing to be with Draco Malfoy for just one night, he'd only wanted Hermione to share that intimacy with him.

Shaking his head, Draco pushed any questioning thoughts out of his mind and hurried into the Head Tower. Whatever he was doing, whatever he was feeling, it would all go away. Hermione was his best friend, he couldn't think of her as any other way. He couldn't keep viewing her in ways' that he should a girlfriend, or a real fiancé. He couldn't fall in love with her; she'd never feel the same for him. They were meant to be friends, not lovers. Right?

* * *

**A/N** _Hey! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'm hoping to start on another chapter of **Blood Is Thicker Than Tears** soon, so it should be up within the next few days. Please tell me what you thought of this chapter! Review! _

Much Love,  
**-Amanda**


	9. Lacking Physical Boundaries

**Review offering insight to the story:**

"_I love this story more and more each chapter! Each of your stories seems to have different personalities that apply to each situation, and I love how you are able to have two different Harry Potter stories going at once, and each one be completely different. In most fics that have the same author you can tell that they don't develop the characters according to each situation that happens... You make everything lifelike and enjoyable to read. Because things just keep happening, and us as the readers never know what is gonna happen next, it's like your style of writing makes the charaters into real people! You never cease to amaze me, I love both of your stories and can't wait for your updates_!" **- _Hyuga Kyuuketsuki_** of FanFiction net.

**Thank you to the following reviewers of** _Chapter Seven_ - _**Slytherin Women Eat Their Prey**_: _Cherylann-Helena-M, ProwlingKitKat, HermionexDracoshipper, cle be, Caligirl-HPLVR, Weaselbee, dracoluver, mskarijade, Allie, Aria Deloncray, sweetlyevil, Odi et amo., Kitsune Kida, Ice Angel10, HearYouMe, SlytherinPrincess09, purplecrazy2291, smileenov, Lana, **Miss Vix, HelloLonely, RedRoseGrave, Zarroc, Loca4Anime **_and _epecially **Hyuga Kyuuketsuki**_, _**fierysoulgirl**_, _**dan-lovr**_, _**GoldenDream**_ and _**galloping-goose**_.

__

**Growing**

Chapter Eight

Lacking Physical Boundaries

Draco sat in the Head Common Room, a book propped up on his lap while he frowned out of boredom. Hermione was out having her conversation with Luna, as after classes ended, Lovegood wanted to go for a walk around the Black Lake, randomly. After dumping Pansy, he decided not tell Hermione exactly what was said; mostly because he hadn't done as she said he should. Instead of telling her he wanted a break, he broke up with her completely, which could cause greater problems with his father. He'd seen Lucius' owl hovering around near the window, a black envelope hanging from its leg. Draco had yet to take the letter though, not wanting to know its contents.

Hearing the portrait door open, Draco looked up from his book to see Blaise walk in, his usual smile had vanished. Plopping down on the chair across from Draco, he sighed. His black hair had a blue sheen to it when the light hit it a certain way, it was a real attractive trait to most of the girls at Hogwarts. His cerulean eyes were rather sad looking, lacking their regular amusement. Crossing his arms, he half glowered in Draco's general direction.

"What's wrong?" Draco wondered, tossing the large book to the ground, happy that Hermione hadn't seen, so he wouldn't have to hear her lecture on proper book etiquette.

"Where's Princess?" Blaise grumbled, glancing around.

"Out with Lovegood, spilling out secret," he replied, leaning forward to put his elbows on his knees while his palms held his chin.

Slouching, Blaise finally looked over at him, a mingling of annoyance and possibly jealousy in his bright eyes. "Why?" he wondered, shaking his head.

"Why what?" Draco asked, completely confused.

"Why do you have to marry her?" he asked, his voice tight.

Sighing, Draco leaned back against the couch. "We've discussed this," he reminded. "Parkinson, my dad, my need not to marry a complete psycho. Is there really any better reason?" Crossing his arms, he stared at Blaise, confused. "I thought you liked Hermione."

"I do," Blaise told him, looking away. "I did. I mean-" Shaking his head, he glared out the window.

"Oh..." Draco said, drawing it out, his eyes wide. "You had a crush on her," he exclaimed, understanding.

Nodding slowly, Blaise ran his hand through his hair, letting out a pitying laugh. "You know, when I found out that you and her were friends, I had this weird hope that maybe... I don't know..." Shaking his head, he looked over at him. "I ran into her in first year, back when she had a bush for hair," he reminded, chuckling. "She tripped over her foot, while carrying a stack of books taller than her. I helped her gather them up and she simply smiled at me gratefully, not caring that I was a Slytherin." Shrugging, he smiled in remembrance. "I ran into her from time to time, but we weren't really friends, or even acquaintances. She's just... really hard to forget. She's so different from any other girl I'd ever known."

"Why didn't you just talk to her?" Draco wondered, ignoring the weird feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Snorting, Blaise shook his head. "Are you kidding me? Not only was I best friends with her mortal enemy, or so I thought, but she was... She was like the unattainable," he said, sadly. "Smartest girl at Hogwarts, part of the Golden Trio, and likely thought I was a blood purity freak."

"She likes you now," Draco said, rather quietly.

Part of him had a restraining fear that maybe he was keeping Hermione back from having a real relationship with someone; someone who could really love her, really make her happy, someone like Blaise. Draco couldn't pretend he hadn't noticed the way Blaise looked at her, but he tried to write it off as being a certain kind of friendship. Hermione hadn't really shown any interest in Blaise romantically, but it wasn't as if she were going to tell Draco, especially now. She found him funny though, and never seemed to be uneasy about trusting him.

"As a friend," Blaise told him, sighing. "Look, I'm not telling you this because I want you to ask her to go out with me. I just..." Shaking his head, he stood up. "I want to be sure that she's going to be happy. And you can think that's weird because we've only really been friends a couple days, but Hermione actually had a pretty big impact in my life growing up. If it weren't for her, maybe all those lessons on blood purity and being a servant to the Dark Lord would've worked." Frowning, he swallowed any remnants of sadness away. "Promise me you'll take care of her," he told him, seriously. "That you're not doing this just to avoid all the problems in your life. That with her, you'll really make her happy."

Running his hand over his face, Draco inhaled deeply; squeezing his eyes shut, he thought this promise over. The reason he and Hermione were marrying was to get away from Lucius, but part of him was rather happy that they were. He'd spent the entire night tossing and turning while going over his feelings for her, finally coming to one decision. Whatever feelings he was having, they weren't going to go away. This marriage they were about to go into, it meant a lot to him; not only because he was marrying his best friend, but because she happened to be someone he loved. To what level and caliber, he didn't know. But he was almost completely sure, that his feelings of just friendship were not all that was inside of him. Above everything else, above the war, his father, Parkinson, and the hate so many people had for them right now, the only thing he wanted, happened to be the same thing Blaise wanted: Hermione's happiness.

Standing up, Draco stared at Blaise seriously. "I promise you, that whatever it takes, I will make her happy."

Sighing with some relief but also an obvious amount of sad defeat, Blaise nodded at him.

The portrait door opened, revealing the girl they had been talking about. Smiling at them, she walked over to sit down on the couch Draco had stood up from. Leaning down, she picked up the book he had tossed earlier and placed it properly on an end table. Crossing her leg over the other, she stared up at them with curiosity. "What were you two discussing?" she wondered.

"Don't worry, Princess, just groom and best man stuff," Blaise replied, his usual grin returning to his face. Sitting back in his chair, he glanced at Draco with a serious expression, telling him to mention anything about their previous talk. "What's wrong?" he asked, looking down at Hermione's hand.

Shaking her head, Hermione massaged her right hand, wincing. "All of that extra time I spend on homework is catching up to me," she admitted, blushing slightly.

Reaching over, Draco pulled her pained hand onto his leg, pressing his thumbs down into her palm and moving them in a diagonal motion to knead the muscles. His fingers, on the back of her hand, began to press into her skin, moving in circles. Turning to Blaise, not really paying attention to the fact that it might be considered odd how he was massaging Hermione's hand, he smirked. "Do you know what happened to Pansy earlier?"

Lifting his eyes from Hermione's hand, a knowing expression in his eyes, he cocked his eye brow at Draco. "When earlier? I heard you break up with her last night," he admitted, nodding. "You were shouting, so really, everybody heard. It was quite interesting to hear her try and explain the fight this morning though."

"At breakfast," Draco replied, grinning. "She kept telling Bulstrode that it was a lover's spat," he said, rolling his eyes. "Bulstrode got so fed up with her saying it over and over, that she picked up the bowl of scrambled eggs and dumped it on Pansy's head, then told her to shut up." Smirking happily, he chuckled. "Best morning ever."

"You never told me how your break up with Pansy went," Hermione said, catching his attention.

Draco had moved up her hands to knead each of her fingers separately, while pressing the thumb of his other hand into her palm, adding pressure to a sensitive spot. Hermione was staring down at his hands in a slight daze, obviously thinking he was a miracle worker. He had been doing this for her for years, but she still reacted as if it were the first time. Clearing his throat, he glanced at Blaise nervously, who simply smirked at him. "It went... well."

"Aside from her thinking it was just a lover's spat?" Hermione asked, lifting her brow in question.

"It was pretty obvious that it wasn't, Parkinson's just stupid," Blaise said, sighing. "Girls got nothing but rocks for brains," he told them, snorting.

Hermione looked over to Blaise, an odd expression on her face. "Why don't you like he? Besides her obvious stalker tendencies and lack of intelligent thought," Hermione said, simply.

Shrugging, Blaise pressed his forefinger against his temple while staring at Hermione intently. "She epitomizes everything I hate," he replied, his eyes locked on hers. "She's self absorbed, money hungry, blood focused, ridiculously stupid, and obsessed with continuing the corruption of wizards and witches."

Hermione tipped her head to one side, staring at him with a thoughtful expression. "I had no idea you were so-"

"Dashingly handsome," he said, cutting her off. "It's a gift, Princess. Careful though, don't get too hung up on me. After all, you have a fiance now." He grinned at her, but Draco could see the sad desperation behind it; Blaise likely loathed the words coming out of his mouth.

Chuckling, Hermione shrugged. "While you are incredibly good looking, I was going to say, I had no idea you were so inclined to see both sides of people. While most have just taken Parkinson and her kind as being rich and popular, you've actually managed to look past whatever makes her that way, to find everything you don't want to be." Sighing, she lifted her free hand to tap her chin. "I bet there was a day that you sat down, looked at yourself, and asked what you were doing. It's probably why you grew up to become the insightful and handsome boy you are now."

Blushing slightly under her scrutiny and praise, Blaise opened his mouth to say something likely sarcastic or with an amusing edge, but sighed instead. "Too true you are," he replied, honestly. "I had one of those days, when I was eleven actually. Ran into someone in the halls of this very school, changed my opinions on myself and all those around me completely."

Hermione smiled at him, nodding. "Well, whoever it was, I'm glad you ran into them. I certainly like who you are now."

Blaise simply nodded, a proud grin tugging at his lips.

Draco had moved down Hermione's hand to massage her wrist, gently rotating her hand just the way she likes. After a few more stroked of her skin, pressing and kneading where needed, he placed her hand back down on her lap. "So how did things go with Luna?" Draco asked, bringing Hermione's eyes back to his, feeling a confusing stir in his stomach.

Sighing, Hermione shrugged with a slight smile. "Well, when I told her that I was going to be getting married, she told me that I should wear my hair down, because snaggleplath's like to burrow into a bride's hair when it's up. Symbolizing-"

"A quick end to the marriage, likely ending in infidelity," Blaise finished, glancing away from them.

"You really love reading The Quibbler, don't you?" Draco asked, his eyes thin with amused suspicion.

"What? No, I heard about it," he said, flustered, snorting. "Who reads The Quibbler? It's complete rubbish!" he exclaimed, with obvious guilt.

"Right," Hermione said, a smile tugging at her mouth. "In any case, she also agreed to be my maid of honour and witness!" she said, happily.

"So when's the wedding date?" Blaise wondered, tipping his head to one side.

"Christmas," Draco told him, nodding. "Are you staying for the holidays?"

Blaise shook his head, frowning. "I'll make it in for the wedding though. Do you know what time it'll be at?"

Draco glanced at Hermione, who was tapping her chin in thought. "We should do it at night, I think," Draco suggested, trying to judge her expression. "Not too late, obviously. But we don't want to appear suspicious to the rest of the students who are still here."

"After the Christmas party in the Great Hall, we could sneak out. Or if it goes longer than planned, we'll leave when nobody is looking," Hermione said, nodding. "Maybe around eight or nine," she asked, looking into Draco's eyes.

Momentarily caught up in how beautiful the long flecks of deep gold that ran through her chocolate brown eyes, Draco blanket out. They reminded him of fireworks; set off in a brilliant shower of light, making her eyes explode with warmth and beauty. Her long lashes fanned out against her eyes, long and soft looking. She wasn't wearing any makeup, as she was simply quite beautiful all on her own. There was a faint spatter of freckles near her eyes, fanning out over her cheeks.

"Draco?" Hermione's voice called, pulling him from his infatuation with her eyes.

"Yeah?" he asked, blinking rapidly. "Right, uh, eight or nine sounds good. I should send that owl to the chapel," he said, nodding.

Hermione smiled, an odd expression of happiness on her face. "I was thinking, Luna doesn't have any plans for tonight, so maybe her and I could go get the dress tonight."

"Didn't you have a Potions essay you wanted to work on?" Draco wondered, keeping his eyes away from hers to prevent from any more embarrassing moments.

Shrugging, Hermione shook her head. "I can do it later," she said, as if it were the most normal thing ever.

Turning to stare at her incredulously, he thinned his eyes suspiciously.

"Who are you and what have you done with Princess?" Blaise asked, equally shocked.

Laughing, Hermione rolled her eyes at them. "Oh honestly, it's not like I'm not doing my homework at all. I'm just not doing it until later."

Frowning, Draco leaned back into the couch. "Alright, but if this keeps happening, I'm bringing you to Pomfrey!" he warned, his mouth twitching with a smile.

Hermione chuckled while she walked to her room to get her coat. Draco left for his room, searching through his jacket for a pouch full of money before he returned to the Common Room. Hermione was struggling to pull her hair out of her coat, again, like she always does. Walking over to her, Draco smiled with amusement. Tugging her soft curls out from beneath her coat, he smoothed them out over her back. Turning her around, he lifted her hand, placing the bag of coins in her palm. While buttoning her coat, he waited for her to object like she always does when it comes to his money.

As she opened her mouth, he cut her off, "We talked about my buying the dress," he reminded, as her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. "Spend as much as you want, just get yourself something beautiful," he said, kissing her forehead. "Have fun with Lovegood," he said, turning to leave.

Draco was caught by surprise when Hermione pulled him back, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. Quick on the uptake, he wrapped his arms around her waist, placing his chin on her shoulder. His eyes fell closed; he was too slow to stop the sigh that escaped his lips but Hermione didn't seem to notice. Realizing he was enjoying her being in his arms likely more than best friend should, he extracted himself from her, staring down at her with a slightly confused expression. "What was that for?" he wondered.

Smiling up at him, she let her arms fall from his neck, her hands grazing the outline of his arms unconsciously. "I know it's not supposed to be entirely real, but you really are making this special," she said, softly. "Thank you," she whispered, before turning and leaving the Head Tower.

Draco hadn't realized he was staring after her until Blaise cleared his throat; shaking his head, he walked back to the couch and sat down. Licking his lips, he cleared his throat and crossed his arms, avoiding Blaise's questioning eyes. He knew it was becoming rather evident, at least to Blaise, that perhaps his feelings for Hermione weren't just friendship anymore. Part of him really didn't want to feel anything for her, it wanted everything to stay the same.

"You gave her the ring," Blaise said, suddenly, pulling Draco back to the present.

"I did," Draco confirmed, keeping his eyes on the floor.

Leaning forward, Blaise placed his elbows on his knees. "You told me when your mom gave you that ring, that you were never going to give it to anyone unless you were absolutely sure that they were the one you'd spend your life with. That's why you refused to give it Parkinson, no matter how much your dad urged you to," he reminded, staring straight at Draco with his penetrating gaze, perfected over the years. "I thought this was only going to be until... I don't know, the War was over, your father was dead or imprisoned in Azkaban," Blaise said, shaking his head slowly.

Swallowing, Draco's eyes swept around the room. "It was- It is," he said, nodding. "I wanted her to have a ring, so everything was... I don't know... Final? Real?" Sighing, he shook his head. "She wants the traditional wedding and I guess I kind of do too."

"What about a traditional marriage?" Blaise asked, his voice raising slightly. "You're falling for her, aren't you?" he asked, not entirely angry, more curious than anything. "She has no idea, but you are!" Snorting, he shook his head. "It was so obvious too," he said, blinking rapidly. "The way you two are together; it's like there's no physical boundaries. You sit close together, you hug constantly, you kiss her forehead pretty often. Then there's the hand massaging, the buttoning of her coat, the carrying her to bed, the arm around her shoulders. You're practically already a couple, you just haven't figured it out yet!" he exclaimed.

Glaring at him, Draco's face turned into a fierce expression, immediately causing Blaise to fall silent. "I'm not falling for her," he said, but his voice lacked any real truth. "She's my best friend, Blaise. I'm asking her to do something that could potentially get her hurt, or worse killed!" Standing up, Draco crossed his arms and stared down at Blaise, his face stricken. Running his hands over his face, he tugged at his hair, the truth rattling in his mind. "Oh Merlin, I'm falling in love with her," he said, quietly. Stumbling backwards, Draco fell onto the couch with a deep sigh. "What do I do?" he asked, looking up at him, worried.

"Continue being the luckiest bloke on the face of the Earth and marry her," Blaise said, frowning. "Maybe she'll fall in love with you too and you can have a real marriage," he suggested, a tinge of bitter envy in his voice. Standing up, he shook his head. "Look, this is Hermione we're talking about, she'll stick with you until everything is cleared up. And if in the end, you're still in love with her and she has yet to reciprocate the feelings, then you'll let her go." Staring at him, he swallowed painfully. "Because as much as you love her, all you want is her happiness. If that means letting her go so she can be with someone else, then so be it." Turning his head, he glanced out the window, where a silver and gold owl was perched. "Don't ignore him forever, it'll just end up badly for you."

Before Draco could reply, Blaise had crossed the room and left the Head Tower, leaving him with a heavy heart. What a mess he'd managed to get himself into; his best friend had feelings for his other best friend, who was his fiance, who he shouldn't have feelings for but does. Glancing at the window, Draco glared at his father's owl before standing up to write a letter for the chapel outside of Hogsmeade. Picking out a quill, he began penning out what needed to be said in a simple letter of request.

_To the owners of "Merlin's Chapel",_

_I must ask that you keep all plans to come a complete secret, as there are many people who do not approve of what I'm asking of you. My fiance and I are looking to be married this Christmas, at your very kind establishment. I must admit to you that my fiance and I are well known in the Wizarding community, especially at this time, which makes my request extremely sensitive. _

_We are but seventeen, but have faith that we are very certain of marrying one another. With the War at quick approach, we find there is no better time that the present. My parents will not approve of out marriage, and so we are doing this without their consent. We have two witnesses that have fully agreed to be present, and completely trust our decision. _

If you are willing and able to help us with this, we thank you from the very depths of our hearts. Please reply when you have come to a decision, so that we may make plans for the ceremony.

_Sincerely,  
**Draco Malfoy**_

Finding his owl, Jasper, he sent his letter off, whispering for him to be careful; as Lucius' owl could be quite devious. Telling his beloved pet not to let Lucius' owl follow him and to deter it at all costs, Draco sent him off. Turning back, he crossed his bedroom and walked into the Common Room, noticing that Lucius' owl was no longer on the window stoop, but the black envelope was lying there waiting for him to read. Gathering his courage, Draco slowly walked over to pick up the infamous writings of his father.

Peeling the back flap open, breaking the Malfoy seal, he simply stared at the white card inside. Pulling it out with moderate speed, his eyes slowly widened as he realized it was a picture of Hermione's house. Turning it over, Draco stared at the red inscription, reading, "_Disobedience only costs the lives of those around you. You've been warned_."

Dropping the picture to the ground, Draco felt his heart thumping out of his chest. Turning, he ran out of the portrait door, racing towards Dumbledore's office. As he went, he pushed people out of the way quickly. Unfortunately, he managed to run into Potter and the Weasel, who weren't having any of his pushing.

Weasley stopped him, pushing him back against a wall with a sneer. "What do you think Harry? Now that Malfoy has no bodyguard's I think he's rather weak," Ron said, staring at him, angrily.

"I've got an essay due Ron, can we deal with him later?" Harry asked with a sigh, his gaze avoiding Draco completely.

"Yeah, Weasel, we'll talk later. I have to be somewhere," Draco said, angrily. His breathing had become erratic and he couldn't stop the worried hammering of his heart. He was completely terrified that Lucius had killed the Granger's. They were like adopted parents to him, he didn't know what he'd do if they were...

"I think right now is the best time," Weasley said, shaking his head and crossing his arms. "Where's your girlfriend, she should be here for this."

"With Potter's girlfriend," Draco said, annoyed. "On a nice little trip to Hogsmeade, now I have to go."

"Ginny's in the library," Harry spoke up, glaring at him.

"Not the Weaslette, the one you actually like," Draco retorted. "Her and Luna ventured down to do something."

"But Hermione has a Potions essay due in a few days," Harry said, shaking his head. "She'd never-"

"I was surprised too," Draco said, sighing. "But it was really important, so she decided to do the essay later."

"Great, now she's not doing her homework," Ron grumbled. "You've really been a great influence Malfoy."

Rolling his eyes, Draco crossed his arms. "First of all, I'm Headboy, Weasley. I have the best grades of every boy in this school. Secondly, what do you care? You're the one who abandoned her," he spat, viciously. "And lastly, stop taking your issues out on me; I'll admit I was a real prat, but that doesn't change the fact that Hermione and I are friends. You don't know the whole story, so just stuff your attitude up your arse," he told him, glaring. "Now,. I have to see Dumbledore. Not that you care, but Hermione's parents may have been harmed. If you'd get the bloody hell out of my way, maybe I could get them some help!" he yelled.

Ron stared at him, rather shocked, before moving out of the way enough for Draco to get past. Setting out in a run, Draco knocked over a couple of giggling girls before making it to the statue in front of the winding stairs. Muttering the password, ah the great things of being Headboy, he hurried up the slowly rising stairs and burst through the door to the Headmaster's office.

Out of breath, he doubled over, pressing his hands onto his knees. He didn't take notice of the other two people in the room, simply staring straight at Dumbledore. Walking forward, he put his hand on his side where an annoying stitch was paining him. "Hermione's parents," he gasped out. "You have to check on them," he told him, nodding. "My father sent me a picture of their house, a warning of sorts. I don't know if it means they're dead, to get his point across. Or that they'll be killed if I don't turn my allegiance back to him." Crossing his arms, he stared at the older man seriously. "Is there anything you can do?"

Nodding, Dumbledore motioned for him to sit down. Looking up to the man beside his desk, he gave him a sharp nod. Draco watched as the man glanced at him suspiciously before leaving the office quickly. A women followed him out swiftly, tripping slightly but catching her balance. Turning back to Draco, he steepled his fingers in front of his chin. "I'm afraid your father is not going to give up easily, Draco," Dumbledore told him.

Sighing, Draco leaned back in his chair. "I know," he said, sourly. "I didn't think he'd go after Henry and Jane though, I had no idea Lucius knew about them. I guess he could've found out about Hermione's family though, rather easily."

"Are you close with the Grangers?" Dumbledore wondered, sitting back in his chair.

"Very," Draco replied, glancing away. "I've spent the last three Summer's with them. A week the first, three the second, and most of last Summer," he recalled happily. "I always told my father I was staying at Blaise's or an uncle he didn't talk to very often," he admitted.

"Sounds like you and Hermione have gone to rather extreme lengths for your friendship," he said, nodding. "Two and a half years of secrecy must've been hard to keep up for so long."

"Not really," Draco told him, shaking his head. "We'd meet outside of class, whenever we weren't busy. Being prefects helped," he said, smiling lightly. "When we weren't able to be around each other, we kept in touch by owling every week, sometimes more than once." Sighing, he bit his lip. "Things were almost easier then," he admitted. "We didn't have to worry about everyone else, just each other."

"Are you upset that it has come out then?" Dumbledore wondered.

Running a hand through his hair, Draco glanced up at him. "I always kind of wanted it to come out. I was so tired of how everybody saw me. Constantly, I was seen as that rich prat that hated Potter." Sighing, he shrugged. "You know I never really hated him, it was more of envy." Clearing his throat, he sat up properly. "I'm glad it's out, I just wish Hermione and her parents didn't have to suffer for it."

"You're a good person, Draco," Dumbledore said, nodding slowly. "People may not see that now, but I have no doubt that it will become evident in the long run."

"Perhaps," Draco said, standing up. "Thank you, sir. For helping the Grangers," he said, nodding.

"When I hear anything, I'll send for you," Dumbledore told him.

Tipping his head in thanks, Draco left the office, feeling as though it helped a little to talk to the older man. Making his way back up toward the Head Tower, he heard heavy footsteps behind him, making him stiffen. Instantly, he knew that it wasn't anyone simply hurrying to dinner or their House. He'd been waiting for this for awhile now, despite his warnings, someone had to confront him without cowering some time. Turning around, he readied himself for the fight.

* * *

**A/N**_ Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll likely have another one up very soon! I can't help it, I tend to update quite quickly. More mention of the missing Journal will be in the next chapter. It will be an important part to the story. I'd really like to know who all of you guys think sent the pictures into Rita Skeeter! I have a feeling it's someone you guys won't really suspect! Let me know who you think it is! Thanks for reading, please review!_

_Much Love,  
-**Amanda**_


	10. A Fight To End All Others

**Review offering insight to the story:**

"_Oh my goodness, I LOVE this story. And it's not often thatI find a fanfiction I really love. Of course whenI reached the bottom of the second chapter and discovered you were the same author from Blood Is Thicker Than Tears,I realised why I liked this story so much. I enjoy both of these stories and will be checking constantly for updates. I love the Draco-Hermione against the world aspect of this story!_" - **_Mindy_** of FanFiction net.

**Thank you very much to the following reviewers of** _Chapter Eight_ - **_Lacking Physical Boundaries_**: _Weaselbee, Phoenix flame01, Miss Vix, Michelle Felton, mskarijade, smileenov, ProwlingKitKat, Allie, Melissa, mike tike tofu, IReallyDon'tKnow91, KitsuneKida, cle be, mskiti, S.Atkins, Caligirl-HPLVR, sweetlyevil, HermionexDracoshipper, NoteBookLove, purplecrazy2291, eolcin8688, Amatheriel, Cherylann-Helena-M, hanvuIceColdShiva, Ice Angel10,_ _ayruh, Felicia, Lillian-is-fickle, **lele07**,** RedRoseGrave, HelloLonely, Aria Deloncray, BeInMyEyes, Zarroc, JpJr **_and _especially **Jessica**, **dan-lovr**, **Hyuga Kyuuketsuki** _and _**galloping-goose**._

_**Growing**_

_Chapter Nine_

_A Fight To End All Others_

Hermione glanced back to see if Luna was keeping up with her as they exited the hidden entrance to Hogsmeade from Hogwarts. The blonde Ravenclaw didn't look anymore dazed than usual, so Hermione decided Harry might've taken her through before. The two were close friends that Hermione was sure should be closer, but Harry had a complex about dating. It had taken him so long to get close to Ginny and enjoy their relationship that he didn't seem to realize it wasn't much of one to begin with. However, Hermione didn't want to put her focus on Harry as it would surely disrupt her excited mood.

"You'll be wearing white to the wedding, right?" Luna wondered, trotting along beside her. "Because wearing any other colour-"

"Implies things," Hermione muttered, frowning.

"Actually, I was going to say that wearing any other colour irritates chapel moths, making them attack your dress," Luna told her, nodding.

"Chapel moths? What are- Never mind. I'm wearing white, so it really doesn't matter," Hermione said, glancing at her friend with a curious expression. "Luna, why aren't you the least bit put off by my marrying Draco?"

Shrugging, Luna's gaze wondered around the many shops, none taking her interest really. "Who am I to question who you fall in love with?"

Sputtering, Hermione shook her head, raising her hands to motion that she was wrong. "I explained this to you, Draco and I are only marrying so he can get out of the promise his father made to make him Parkinson's husband in June."

Sighing, Luna glanced at her briefly before running her hand over a window, to the disdain of the man creating a display inside. "If that's what you think, fine."

"What do you mean, 'If that's what I think'? It's what I know," Hermione said, becoming rather perturbed. Crossing her arms, she sped up in her pace to get to the dress shop beside The Three Broomsticks. Glancing around, she made sure nobody was looking in their direction before she hurried inside.

"I didn't mean to upset you," Luna said, her eyes lighting up somewhat at the sight of the beautiful gowns around her. "Would you like me to get a dress to wear for the wedding?" she wondered, her mouth perking.

Picking up price tags, her eyes widened. "Only if you want to," Hermione said, not wanting to insult her by questioning whether she could afford anything in the store.

The only reason she was able to was because of Draco's wide generosity when it came to their wedding. She wouldn't be surprised if he suddenly suggested they go away to Hawaii to have it on the white sandy beaches and then honeymoon for a month or two on various islands. Of course, there was no way she'd agree to that; she had school to worry about. Not to mention the fact that it would seem incredibly suspicious if they both disappeared for any amount of time. There was also the fact that she really didn't approve of him spending money on her, even in small amounts. He kept telling her that she'd have to get over it though, especially since they weren't sure how long they'd be married. So she promised herself that she really was going to work on her discomfort at spending the Malfoy galleons.

A saleswoman swept towards them, a not entirely trusting expression on her face as she looked at them skeptically. "May I help you with anything?" she wondered, her tone rather snooty.

Sighing, Hermione stared up at her with a confidant smile. "I'm getting married," she told her, nodding. "The cost of the dress is not important, as long as it's something I'll love," she said, remembering Draco's words. Glancing at Luna, she remembered her decision to get comfortable spending Draco's, and her's as he told her, money. "We're also looking for a dress for the Maid of Honour."

The woman, whose blonde hair was pulled up tightly against her head, causing her face to seem pulled back still, didn't look convinced. Lifting an arm, she placed a forefinger against her temple, a tight smile on her mouth as she surveyed them.

Sighing, Hermione pulled the satchel of money out of jacket, rolling her eyes. Waving it in the air, she glared at the woman. "Money is no issue," she said, frowning. "If you'd rather we take our business elsewhere, I have no problem with that." Of course, she did have a problem, seeing as this was the only bridal store that she could get to. Otherwise, she would've walked out on the woman's rude manner long ago.

Instantly, the sales lady brightened, gesturing her hands around to the beautiful dresses on the walls. "When is the glorious event?" she asked, a fake but large smile on her face.

"Christmas," Luna replied, smiling briefly. "But she won't be wearing Christmas colours," she said, shaking her head vehemently.

"Right," the lady said, glancing at Luna with an odd expression. Clapping her hands together, she returned her attention to Hermione. "Who is the husband to be?" she asked, happily.

"My best friend," Hermione replied, smiling. She didn't want to tell the woman anything as she was worried it might be leaked out, which could have horrible consequences.

"Oh, isn't that sweet. In my experience, marriages founded on friendship always turn out better than those that aren't." Nodding, she walked closer to Hermione, tapping her chin and running a calculative eye over her. "You're a small girl," she said, nodding. "Tiny everything, really," she told her, reaching out to pick up her arms. "Yes, I have a number of dresses that should be just right for you."

Before Hermione could say anything, the woman was off, running her hands over gowns, pulling out a few to lay over her arm or frowning and shaking her head at others. Hermione glanced down at her body, twisting her hips so she could see her sides and frowning. "Do I really have small everything?" she wondered, slightly worried. After all, she'd seen Pansy naked, and the girl didn't have much small of anything. Like most Barbie's, her chest size was much larger than her IQ.

"Don't worry," Luna told her, walking closer without her dreamy expression. "I have no doubt that Draco loves you just the way you are," she said, smiling.

Lifting her brow, she stared at Luna suspiciously. "Are you hinting again? Merlin, Luna, have many times do I have to tell you. Yes, I love him, but not the way you think."

"Mmhmm," Luna said, turning her face so she could look over dresses, her hands running over the soft fabric. "How is Blaise taking it?' she wondered.

Hermione looked over at her, tipping her head in confusion. "What do you mean? He's fine. We told him last night. He was a little startled, but he was... fine."

"Really? I thought he'd have more to say," Luna said, her gaze slipping to stare out the window, nothing particular to look at.

"Why would you think that? I know he hasn't known about my and Draco's friendship long, but he's been quite approving thus far," Hermione told her, shrugging.

"Of course he has, he has nothing to do with the blood purity craze going around," Luna told her, her eyes never leaving the outside window. "If he did, would he be in love with you?"

Hermione about choked on air, stumbling backwards while she shook her head. After she managed to catch her breath and regain her composure, she turned on Luna with a shocked expression. "Blaise is **not** in love with me," she told her, adamantly. "He's Draco's best friend," she reminded, biting her lip. "And he's my friend, really. He's been very helpful ever since... everybody turned their back on me," she said, quietly.

"Because he's been in love with you since first year," Luna said, finally tearing her gaze away from the window to look at Hermione. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not telling you you're marrying the wrong bloke. You and Draco were simply meant to be married," she said, nodding. "I just think you should know that Blaise has feelings for you too."

"Why?" Hermione asked, her voice quiet.

"Well I don't know why, it's not like I ever asked him," Luna said, shaking her head.

"No, I mean, why did I need to know?" she wondered, staring at her friend.

"He's your friend, he's probably upset about the whole thing. It's just best if you know, that way you don't make him feel too bad," Luna told her, sighing. "Blaise is a different boy," she said, nodding. "I met him a few years back when he asked if there was any way he could get The Quibbler delivered to him privately, that way he wasn't bothered by his Housemates."

Chuckling, Hermione smiled brightly. "I knew he loved The Quibbler," she exclaimed, happily. "He quotes it quite often, finishing off my sentences whenever I pass on something you've said."

Luna nodded, returning her attention to a bright orange and yellow dress that Hermione was horrified the girl was even considering. "Yes, he's a genuinely nice boy. It's rather sad, his place in all of this." Turning to her, Luna sighed. "You keep saying it's just you and Draco, that it's all your fight. But it's really not," she said, shaking her head. "Yes, you and Draco are in this together. But don't think that just because you're getting married, the rest of us aren't part of it. Blaise has disowned everyone in his House too, to be Draco's friend." Frowning lightly, Luna reached out to grab a blue dress, moving the fabric between her fingers slowly. "And while I've never really been noticed much by the other students, unless they're hiding my things, my friendship with Harry has been rather rocky lately," she admitted. "So you and Draco might want to remember that your friendship, your love for each other, it may be between you two, but it effects all of us."

Before Hermione could reply, the sales woman came back, her arms full of dresses of all colours, lengths, and shine calibers. Hermione's eyes bulged at the mess of clothing she'd have to try on. Of course, before she could be ushered away, she decided to push away that which she didn't want right away. Including a blood red gown that had full length arms, a raven black, strapless mini dress, and a beige gown with a corset top and a huge taffeta bottom. Though the woman frowned, she let Hermione make her decision and then held the changing room door open for her.

Walking inside, slightly annoyed with the sales lady's rather pushy attitude, she made to place the dresses on the hanger, but found a white gown staring back at her. Reaching out, Hermione took it off the hook and held it up, a small smile on her mouth. Dropping the other dresses without concern, she held the new found dress up against herself, happy with its simple and traditional look. Trying it on, she was pleasantly surprised that it was just what she wanted. Opening the door, she stopped in front of Luna, twirling around happily.

"Perfect," Luna exclaimed, nodding. "I don't think there's a better option!" Bringing a dress out to show Hermione, she nodded. "Now both of us will be safe. You won't be eaten by chapel moths, and I'll be safe from looking like one of those awful American bride's maids who have to wear something in green sea foam!" she told her, grimacing.

"Oh Luna, that dress will look perfect on you," she told her, nodding. Walking forward, Hermione let herself hug her friend, as she was feeling especially happy about the dress and the whole event, really. "Come on, I'll change, and we can stop for a nice butterbeer next door!"

Walking back to the change room, Hermione admired herself in the mirror one last time, before changing back into her regular clothing. After paying for both dresses, even though Luna objected, she thanked the sales lady who looked like she had just struck gold, and walked over to The Three Broomsticks with Luna. Waving at Madame Rosmerta, they sat down at a booth, placing their dresses beside them, but hiding the names on the bag so nobody would cast a suspicious eye on them.

"You spend a lot of time with Harry," Hermione said, glancing out the window. "I need to ask you a few things," she told her, sighing. "You don't have to answer, because I know you and Harry are very close and I don't want to invade his or your privacy," she assured, licking her lips out of nervousness. "I won't ask how he feels about me, because I think I'd rather hear it from him, or possibly not at all if it's too bad," she admitted, trying to chuckle. "But there has been a weird happening involving a Gryffindor," she said, frowning. "See, my journal has gone missing, but I found my book bag in the Gryffindor Tower; empty. It'd odd because, why would I bring my book bag there without books?" Shaking her head, she leaned back in the booth. "Which makes me believe that someone managed to get a hold of my book bag and found my journal. I'm sure you understand that it's quite important to me."

"Are you asking if Harry has your journal?" she wondered, staring at her with eyes free of anger or confrontation, but just curious.

"I'm not accusing him of stealing it, exactly. I more of wondered if perhaps he knows who has it, or even if maybe he stumbled upon it." Shaking her head, she sighed with worry. "There are so many things in there, Luna. Not just about me, or Draco, but about Harry too. And I fear that perhaps, if it gets in the wrong hands, things could be blown completely out of proportion!'

Their butterbeer's were placed down in front of them and Hermione hurriedly guzzled a large amount, trying to calm her nerves. Running a hand over her face, she closed her eyes, gathering herself. Licking her lips, she eyed the outside, glancing at people walking around. Snow was beginning to fall from the sky, blanketing the ground with moderate speed. Hermione had a feeling this would be the first snowfall that would last though, finally, Winter had arrived.

"I'll talk to Harry," Luna told her, nodding. Her eyes were focused outside, watching the snow fall too, a smile on her mouth. "I know you didn't want to hear how he feels about you, but I think you should at least know that he doesn't hate you like you might think."

Glancing back at her, Hermione meant to smile gratefully, but noticed something in the background. It was just a glance, just a dark shape that moved almost imperceptibly, but it caused a chill to run over Hermione; scaring her to great lengths. Standing up abruptly, Hermione looked over at a rather confused Luna and shook her head. "We have to leave," she told her, quickly. "Please, don't ask questions. It's just time to get back to the school," she told her, looking around with worried, wide eyes.

Luna followed her to the door, they paid for their only half finished drinks and then hastily ran towards the hidden entrance to the school, making sure that nobody saw them. Sneaking inside, Hermione told Luna that she would see her later, thanking her for the great outing and promising to explain everything when she could. Hurrying down the halls, Hermione made her way towards the Head Tower. She came to a halt three quarters of the way when she found a browney-red liquid on the ground, causing her stomach to lurch. Looking around, she found the same in a few other places. She had no question what it was, or whose it was. Draco's blood. Of course, there was likely a lot of other people's it could be, but she had a feeling that the large amount on the floor was his.

Running the rest of the way to the Head Tower, she had high hopes he'd be sitting there with a smirk, telling her it was just a bleeding nose, or something equally unrealistic. Shouting the password, which couldn't be very intelligent, she ran inside the Common Room to find it empty. Tossing her bag on the ground, she ran to Draco's bedroom, finding it empty too. Feeling a burning sensation in her eyes, she inhaled deeply, bidding her tears to dry up. Running back to the portrait, Hermione tumbled into one of that last people she thought she'd be seeing right then.

* * *

Draco turned around slowly, hid face completely blank of all emotion and his body stiff and tall, ready for anything they had to throw. He half hoped that it would be only one guy, that way he knew for a fact he'd win, but another part hoped it was a few, so he could get the point across. When nine guys stepped out of the shadows, he was considering just stunning them all, hiding them in a closet, and walking away. But that would be a cowardly act, so he didn't reach for his wand instantly, waiting to see what they had in mind. 

"You knew it would come to this Draco," Malcolm Baddock said, stepping out to face him, a sneer present on his face. "We can't have you running around, ruining the name of Slytherin House, now could we?"

"We all do what we have to," Draco replied, seemingly unfazed by their little head hunt. Crossing his arms, he stared at them through slitted eyes. "I thought Jacobs would've gotten the message across," he said, staring straight at Baddock. "Are you sure you want to end up like him? Pissing your pants in front of your little crew here?"

"I never pissed my pants," a familiar, but slightly more scared, voice called out.

"You were close enough to it," Draco called back to him, rolling his eyes.

Stepping closer, Baddock stared Draco head on. "You see, the problem with your little scare tactics with Baddock is that he's easy to psych out," he told him, quietly. "But with me, I know you aren't going to do anything that might get you into too much trouble. Think about it, Draco. Once you're expelled, the little mudblood is free game," he reminded, stepping back with a triumphant sneer.

Laughing, Draco shook his head with amusement, causing the boys around him to stare at him like he was crazy. "It's an interesting approach Baddock; trying to scare me into not fighting to save her." Smirking, he tipped his head to stare at him for a moment. "You forgot something, though."

"Oh yeah?" Baddock asked, frowning. "What's that?"

Draco's smirk fell away, "I don't respond well to threats," he said, his fist lifting to connect with Malcolm's face before he could think to react. Jarred to the side, Baddock feel to the ground, clutching his jaw and howling with pain. Lifting his free arm, he motioned for someone to take care of Draco for him.

Draco turned his eyes on the eight guys in front of him, his regular confidant self taking over for what was about to happen. Briefly, he wondered where Blaise was and exactly what he was doing. Then he wished he could somehow call his best friend to his aid, not that he was really afraid. It was only eight guys, right? He could do this; he was Draco Malfoy. They seemed to be coming only one at a time anyway.

Graham Montague took over for Baddock, stepping close to crack his knuckles. "You should've just dumped her when people found out, Draco. Then none of this would be happening," he said, circling him. "She's nothing but a mudblood bookworm, you could've done better."

Lifting his arm, Draco wrapped his hand around the side of Montague's neck, before quickly throwing his head into the wall. Managing to knock a few teeth out, Montague fell to the ground spitting out blood and revealing a few empty spaces between his once perfect mouth. Glaring up at Draco, he wiped the blood from his mouth and made to stand up for a second round, but fell back when Draco sharply kicked him in the stomach.

The pressure of someone jumping on his back, caused Draco to jolt forward, running into the wall. He turned his face to the side, to save himself from face planting against the hard cement. The guys arm was tightly wrapped around Draco's neck, cutting off his air, but he chose not to focus on that. Running backwards, Draco smashed the guy into the far side of the wall, he stepped forward before doing it again, hearing him grunt with pain. He continued knocking him back against the wall until the guy let go and fell down.

Inhaling deeply, Draco glared down at the guy as he bent over, one arm on his back as he grumbled. Turning around, he meant to see who was left, but was side swiped by a thick fist connecting with his jaw. Falling to one side, he quickly caught himself before hitting the ground. If he were to fall, he knew he wouldn't get back up; they'd surround him, kicking him into unconsciousness. Straightening himself out, he stared at the boy who had hit him, now staring at Draco with obvious fear. Terry Urquart stood before him, eyes wide and hand still fisted.

"This mean I'm off the team, captain?" Draco asked, smirking. Not waiting for an answer, he stepped towards the Slytherin Quidditch team leader, punching him sharply in the stomach, relishing in the sound of air escaping from Terry. "That's alright, I've already been offered a place on a professional team when I'm done school," he said, staring down at Urquart, holding his stomach with a red face.

Turning around, he sighed. "Five to go," he told himself. There was a part of his brain that kept reminding him that this would likely be the only fight he'd have to participate in; after, they'd all be sure of his ability to beat them until they couldn't breath. Which meant Hermione would be safe too, if they knew not to mess with him, then they'd leave her alone. This fight was really about her anyway, which is another reason he couldn't let them win.

Walking towards the five guys still left, Draco readied himself for whatever they might throw. He was only slightly surprised when a wand pressed itself against the center of his back. Turning his head, he frowned. "You always were a git, Jacobs," he told him, shaking his head. "You can never do anything on your own."

"I know I could do your little girlfriend all on my own, but I don't want to sully myself with her filth," he told him, vindictively. Grabbing Draco's head by the back of his hair, he tugged him back. "What's she like, Draco? What's it like with a mudblood, huh?" he questioned with a vile smirk.

Draco felt his blood boil, overcome with the need to murder the boy behind him. Twisting his arm behind his back, Draco wrapped his hand around Jacobs wrist. "You should know, that I'm going to make you bleed for that," Draco told him, snapping the boys wrist until he heard it break. Leaning his head forward, he brought it back swiftly, cracking Jacobs nose, causing the boy to scream in agony.

Facing the last four boys, he shook his head. "And you fools actually thought I wouldn't fight because of expulsion," he said, amused. "You think Dumbledore will kick me out for that one," he wondered, pointing down at Jacobs on the floor, curled into himself and clutching his face. "Let's see what he does when I'm finished with the rest of you," he told them, darkly.

"Not so fast, Draco," a voice called out, before a hand wrapped around his neck, putting a choking pressure around his throat. "You remember Crabbe, don't you?" the boy wondered, stepping out to stand in front of Draco. Colt Warrington appeared in front of him, wearing a satisfied smirk. "When you let your bodyguard run free, they find other owners," he told him. "Must say, after the way you treated them, they weren't exactly opposed to this little attack." He motioned to Crabbe, behind Draco, before cocking his eyebrow.

Draco felt his feet lift from the floor as he was slowly picked up, the tight grip on his throat causing him to stop breathing completely. Looking down still, he stared at Warrington without emotion.

"What's the matter, Draco?" Colt wondered, shaking his head. "It's alright, Malfoy, you can cry. After all, you know when you're gone, the little mudblood can't be saved." Cracking his fingers, he tipped his head to stare up at Draco with a malicious glint in his eye. "And I bet we can find a few ways to have fun with her. I've always wondered if they scream while they're tortured." Smirking, he locked his eyes with Draco's. "You probably know how it sounds when she screams, will it be as delightful as I hope?"

Feeling his chest begin to constrict with the need to breathe, Draco managed to glare down at the boy with as much hate as he could muster. Bringing his leg back, he quickly released it to catch Warrington in the throat, knocking him off balance and clutching at his neck with a quickly colouring face. Bringing his foot back, he smashed Crabbe in the eyes, causing the boy's hand to slip from its place around Draco's neck, dropping him.

Coming to the ground with a crash, Draco inhaled sharply, sucking in air heavily without having the strength to get up right away. His head lolled forward, his mouth open as he breathed erratically. Pushing himself up, he meant to get up from the floor, but he stared up at the five wands directed at him from a kneeling position. Smiling in a cocky manner, his eyes slowly ran over the faces of all those around him, taking in his past loyal Housemates one by one. A fist came forward from the group, jarring Draco to the side, causing his teeth to slice open his mouth. Moving to straighten himself again, he made no expression to show that he was hurt. Aside from spitting the blood in his mouth over the boy who had hit him. He grinned, his teeth stained red, when the blood spattered over the boy's white shirt.

One of the boys stepped forward slightly, hitting him with a hurling hex, causing him to fly back and smash against the wall, his head painfully slamming into the cement before he slid back down to the ground. Another smirked at him maliciously before shouting, "**_Sectumsempra_**!" Draco made no noise as his body broke out in deep, painful slashes, bloody pouring out of each to puddle on the floor as he leaned forward.

Reaching his arm back before any of them could see, he pulled his wand out, hitting them with a hurling hex, but only managing to get two of them away from him, flying against the wall, one almost slipped out the window. The bodies around him were starting to wake up, causing Draco to worry slightly. Staring up at the angry faces of his Housemates, he climbed to his feet, spitting the gathering blood in his mouth in Colt's face, managing to blind him slightly when it hit his eyes. Draco quickly grabbed him by the collar, throwing him back towards the guys who were rising from the ground.

Before he could move to attack the last couple of guys in front of him, Crabbe had stepped forward, grabbing Draco by his shirt and throwing him back against the wall, the force knocked him from his feet, making him land with a thud. His wand slipped from his hand, skittering over the ground to a stop. Staring up at the remaining few in front of him, his chest heaving from exertion, he grinned at them, feeling the trickle of blood slip down his mouth. "You gotta admit," he said, staring at each of them. "I put up one helluva fight."

Swallowing, Goyle stared at him. "Yeah," he admitted, nodding. "You did."

"Don't leave me here waiting in suspense too long," Draco said, glaring. "We all know you don't want me to regain my strength." Inhaling deeply, he splayed his arms out beside him, waiting for their last hit. "When this is all over," he said, nodding. "You leave her out of it."

"She's safe," Goyle promised, staring at him with the last bit of loyalty he had left. "You've paid enough for both of you."

Sighing, Draco stared at them, all pointing their wands, all looking slightly scared but still sure of their actions. "One day, you're all going to figure this shit out," he told them. "And you're going to know that everything you did, wasn't worth it in the end."

Hermione's face danced in his mind, its perfection, its beauty. He could see her smiling, hear her laughing, feel her hugging him. The only thought that comforted him, was that now she could find real love, maybe get married to someone she loved back. Perhaps it would even be Blaise, as the two of them would likely make a nice couple. He didn't regret being engaged to her though, were this to turn out differently, he'd happily wait for her at then end of the aisle. She was his angel, the one that made this all worth it. Dying didn't seem that horrible anymore, not if it meant she'd me safe. Goyle was a stupid man, but he was trustworthy enough; he'd make sure she wasn't harmed.

Pushing through the center, Warrington stared down at Draco with a malevolent smirk. "Not me," he told him, shaking his head. "I've wanted to do this for years," he admitted, grinning. "Goodbye Draco."

"See you in hell, Warrington," he replied, grinning.

"**_Avada Kedavra_**!" Colt screamed, a green light spilling from his wand.

* * *

**A/N**_ Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review!_

_-**Amanda**_


	11. An Unlikely Occurence

**Review offering insight to the story:**

"_I don't usually come across stories that I must keep up with. But when I do, I always wait hungrily for the next chapter. And believe me, this is one of those stories. At first, I felt like the style was familiar. When I realized that you were the author of "Blood is Thicker Than Tears" (which is my favorite Hermione/Draco fanfic), I was ecstatic. Your characters are wonderfully developed, especially Draco. I love his personality; kind, loving, protective. Please keep sharing the wonderful story of Hermione and Draco's forbidden friendship with us_!" - **_Princesse de la Plume_** of FanFiction net.

**Thank you very much to the following reviewers of** _Chapter Nine_ - **_A Fight to End All Others_**:_ mskiti, Danielle, Odi et amo, Dizi 85, purplecrazy2291, Miss Vix, bethygirl94, cle be, mskarijade, Allie, Ice Cold Shiva, Save a broom. Ride a Quidditch player., livelife-loveHGDM, Abraxnia, NoteBookLove, Weaselbee, HermionexDracoshipper, HelloLonely, Akita Sohma, Prowling KitKat, Aria DeLoncray, Kitsune Kida, hanvu, BeInMyEyes, bloodyHELLitsHP, ayruh, sweetlyevil, Michelle Felton, tom's a hottie, Phoenix flame01, Desi Zephyr, Melissa, hermione, _**_Maybaby525, Mindy, Lady Rachel Lupin _(**Cool name change - I see you're finally able to write your name properly! Wicked good!**)_, Zarroc, lele07, Princess de la Plume _**and _especially** Loca4Anime, galloping-goose, Hyuga Kyuuketsuki, JpJr, kie-san, **_and**_ dan-lovr._**

**_Growing_**

_Chapter Ten_

_An Unlikely Occurence_

Draco's grin never left his face, firmly printed for all to see. There was no regret, no fear, no piteous begging coming from his mouth. Sure, somewhere inside of him he was scared; not for himself, not for his own soul or even of dying itself. He was afraid for those around him; were the Granger's okay? Would Hermione truly be alright without him? How would Blaise do? Would his mother mourn him, or go on in her facade of being emotionless; living out her lonely life without feeling or crying for her lost son?

He kept his eyes open, hoping they would forever remember Draco Malfoy, strong leader, intelligent student, courageous fighter, muggle lover, blood traitor, Slytherin Prince, and former friend. Fear was not something he would ever show, for that would be admitting defeat and even in death, he would never surrender his beliefs. His last words were ones he hoped would stay with them forever, circulating in their mind until it drove them mad; a conscious of sorts.

Six and a half years, wasted, all for some Dark Lord who really cared not for the people who served him. Draco had led them to victory during Quidditch; he had kept them from making complete fools of themselves. He had made the most points for the House, given his intelligence, it was only right. He was their leader through it all; Slytherin Prince, reigning over the stupid and keeping the evil in line. No one dared talk back to him, not in his House or most others. In their mind, all it took was one mistake; one wrong association and he wasn't worthy of being the top of the food chain in the Slytherin ranks.

They could look down on him now, watching as he sat ready to accept his death; never saying he was wrong, never denouncing Hermione. Instead, he stood up for her until the very end; a true friend for all of them to see. It wasn't just that he was falling for her, either, because he would've done this years ago. She became the most important person in his life the Summer after they became friends. These Slytherin's in front of him, they didn't know what friendship was; they had a misconception of loyalty and understanding. Draco knew though, he felt every little feeling associated to it. Hermione was his best friend, and no ill will, thought, or action towards her would go unpunished.

The open cuts on his body, the blood in his mouth, the curse aimed at his chest, it was all worth it. He'd do it all over; he'd be choked, punched, cursed, belittled, and smashed up against walls. He'd take it a hundred times over, just to hear the promise that Hermione would be okay. It was all worth it; there was no regrets now. Perhaps Hermione would even regain her friendship with Potter, it would keep her happy in her time of sadness.

The green light was bright, blinding really, but not enough to make him close his eyes. He wanted them to look into the depths of his dark, dead eyes when he was gone, remembering how lifeless he looked. However, that wouldn't come to pass, as Draco was never hit by the murderous curse. Instead, he heard someone yell out a deflecting spell, causing Warrington's wand to jut to the right, the curse smashing into the cement wall beside him.

There was skittering sound, as his wand came flying across the ground, landing by his fingertips. Surprised by the sudden intruder, all of the boys in front of him stood stunned, staring at the boy on the side, a defiant frown on his face. Draco wrapped his hand around his wand, standing from the floor and lifting it to Warrington's throat. "**_Stupefy_**!" he shouted.

Turning to the others, he smirked angrily. Tired with the fight that had just happened, he decided to just hurl as many as he could at the wall, stunning the rest. They were all too shocked to react, flying through the air with twisted features of anger, surprise, and disgust. Staring around at the nine bodies strewn over the hall, Draco let out a small laugh before falling forward, the exhaustion of it all finally getting to him.

His knees smashed against the cement, he simply winced at the pain, blood was running down his arms slowly. Opening his mouth, he spat a large mouthful of the copper flavored liquid out, blinking rapidly at how dizzy he was becoming. Feeling arms around his back, pulling him from the floor, he lolled his head back, worrying someone had woken up.

"Relax you prat," his savior told him, helping him up. "We better get you to the Hospital Wing."

"I'm fine," Draco said, shaking his head, but followed him as he led him down the halls in the opposite direction of the Head Tower. They hobbled along in silence, Draco glancing over at him briefly, making sure it was really him. His mouth fell open to ask questions, but would then close a moment after.

"Will you stop that? It's unnerving?" the boy told him, keeping his eyes forward.

"Why'd you help me?" Draco finally asked, his voice dark and hoarse from fighting.

Shrugging, the boy kept his eyes forward. "I couldn't very well let them kill you. Imagine what Hermione would say if she found out I had let you die, simply watched it all play out."

"How long were you there?" Draco wondered.

"Ventured on it when you started fighting with your Quidditch captain," he replied, sighing. "You put up quite the fight," he told him, rather reluctantly.

"Not good enough," Draco said, sighing. "Otherwise, I might not've been sitting there with the death curse aimed at me."

"There were nine guys," the boy reminded, shaking his head. "You were incredibly lucky to last as long as you did."

"Exactly why are you reassuring me?" he wondered, cocking his eyebrow. "If I remember correctly, which I always do, you hate me!"

"There are reasons why I hated you," his rescuer said. "Don't pretend you're exactly innocent in all of this. You were a right stupid git when I first met you," he told him, honestly. "I don't think I'd have a problem never talking to you again." Sighing, he helped him up the stairs, glancing around through sharp eyes.

"They're all having dinner," Draco told him, rolling his eyes. "Don't worry, nobody's going to see you helping me, Potter."

"It's not that," he said, clearing his throat. "Not exactly anyway." Shaking his head, he waited patiently as Draco took his time getting up the stairs, his sides aching from the now hurting wounds.

"What is it then?" Draco wondered, wincing and clenching his jaw to keep from making any noises from the pain.

"I'm only worried about running into two people," Harry told him, keeping his eyes forward so as not to show he noticed that Draco was visibly in pain.

"Lovegood's fine with my and Hermione's friendship," Draco assured. "Hell, they just went out shopping for wed-" Coughing suddenly, realizing his very obvious mistake, he shook his head. "They won't be back for a little while yet; girls and shopping," he said, with a weak laugh.

Glancing over at him with thin, suspicious eyes, he shrugged before looking away. "I didn't mean Luna, I actually meant Ron and Ginny."

"Oh," Draco said, frowning. "Right, them. Why are you dating her anyway?" he wondered, shaking his head. "I mean come on," he said, snorting. "It's pretty obvious that you have more than friendly feelings for Lovegood."

Stiffening suddenly, Harry glanced over at him with rather wide eyes before hiding his surprise. "Luna and I are just friends," he said, weakly.

Snorting, Draco nodded his head, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, sure."

"You really shouldn't annoy people who are trying to help you," Harry said, sighing with irritation.

"I've heard that before," Draco said, tipping his head. "Right, that's exactly what Hermione said that time that I tried board skating, and I ran into a parked car. Completely scraped my arm to bloody hell, and she takes out this potion of sorts, puts it on the open cut. Burns like a soddin' bitch!" he told him, his brows raised with remembrance. "You can imagine how bloody pissed I was, but she just kept telling me that I shouldn't be shouting obscenities, because she didn't approve of them. It was her fault, she's the one who told me I should try muggle teenage things and look what happens," he exclaimed.

Harry had been stifling a laugh during his entire story, but Draco watched amused as he couldn't hold it in any longer. "She managed to get you on a skateboard?" he asked, grinning with laughter. "Wait a click, Hermione knows how to skateboard?" he asked, his eyes widening with surprise.

"Right, that's what it was called," Draco said, nodding. "A board with four wheels, bloody death trap it is." Shaking his head, he grimaced. "No, she had no idea how to manage a skateboard. She decided that we were going to learn how to do it together though. Of course, my attempt was horrendous. You know Hermione though, she doesn't give up until she's figured it out."

Harry slowly became quiet, before his face took on its old impassive expression. "When was that?" he wondered, keeping his eyes forward.

"Last Summer," Draco told him, smiling wistfully. "I spent most of it with her and she got it in her head that I needed to learn everything a muggle seventeen year old would," he said, snorting. "If you think the skateboard was bad, you should've seen me on those roller things." Shaking his head, he frowned. "Hermione lives on this hill right, now a big one, well I'm sure you know-"

"Rollerblades," he suggested. "And I've only been there a few times actually," Harry admitted.

"Oh," Draco said, clearing his throat. "Well, her street is rather sloped downward a few houses down," he explained, nodding. "And she decided that we'll go rollerblading around the street, because there's really not all that much traffic," he continued, glancing at Harry to see if it was bothering him, but he had a slight smile going, so Draco continued. "The only problem is, she knows exactly what she's doing, so when she let go of my hands, I went flying toward the hill, she didn't realize until I started yelling." Sighing, he cocked his eyebrow. "She may be a genius, but she never thought to teach me how to stop on those things. So, it was quite imminent that I went flying down that slope, picking up an unbelievable speed as I went. Almost took out a dog, but I managed to scream loud enough for it to move." Turning to look at Harry, he chuckled. "You know what stopped me?" Harry shook his head. "There was this woman pushing a shopping cart over the street, I went flying into it, flipped completely over the top and landed flat on my back."

Harry bit his lip, covering the shriek of laughter that meant to escape, finally he gave up and let himself laugh uproariously.

"Then the woman actually had the audacity to yell at me for hitting her cart!" Draco exclaimed, shaking his head. "Bloody bint! I'm lying on the ground, groaning in agony, sure of having numerous broken appendages, and she's yelling that I broke her eggs!"

This just made Harry laugh harder, he actually stopped to lean against a wall for support. Lifting his free hand to wipe a tear away. "I can actually see you flying through the air, flailing your arms and screaming like a little girl."

"Why does everyone say I scream like a girl? I have an incredibly manly scream, I swear," Draco said, shaking his head.

Harry shook his head, not replying as he was still enjoying the effects of it all. Pushing open the Hospital Wing doors, he led him inside and dropped him on one of the beds, calling out for Madame Pomfrey.

"What is it? What is it?" Pomfrey asked in irritation, staring at Harry. "What 'ave ya done now?" she asked, glancing down at Draco's appearance. "My word," she said, turning her annoyed eyes on Harry. "You will certainly be hearin' a word from Dumbledore over this one!" she said, loudly.

"It wasn't him," Draco replied, shaking his head and leaning back in the bed, his arms behind his pillow. "Fact is, he saved me," he said, sighing. "Though that story will likely be changed, seeing as I'm sure neither of us really wants it getting out," he said, staring straight at Harry in understanding.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Harry nodded, crossing his arms.

"Do me a favor though, will ya, Potter?" he queried, glancing at him briefly. "Talk to Hermione some time in the near future," he asked. "Much as I hate to admit it..." Turning his silver eyes up, he stared at Harry seriously. "She needs you."

Without replying, Harry simply nodded before taking his leave.

"So, if I may be so bold to ask, can you tell me exactly what happened to cause such... injuries?" Madame Pomfrey asked, eyeing him over rather suspiciously.

"Nasty spill down the stairs," he said, cocking his brow. "What do you think?" Rolling his eyes, he brought his arms down to push himself up. "Will this take long?"

"Don't rush me, Mr. Malfoy, we don't want me mixing up the wrong potion, do we?" she asked, lifting her brows for emphasis.

"I know I don't want you to, but I can't begin to wonder how much you'd enjoy it," he muttered, leaning back.

It took her a good half hour to forty five minutes before she managed to get him back to his old self. While his face still had obvious evidence of being hit a number of times, the deep gashes over his entire body had healed almost impeccably. She was telling him he needed a good night's rest when the Hospital Wing doors opened, revealing two people that made his heart leap dramatically. Basically jumping off the bed, Draco ran forward, ignoring the fact that his eyes were beginning to tear up. "Thank Merlin," he exclaimed.

Wrapping his arms around them both, he let out a strangled cry, not even noticing that Dumbledore and the two people from earlier were standing in the background. Pulling back he stared at them both, running his eyes over them quickly. "Henry, Mum- I mean Jane," he said, shaking his head.

With shining eyes, Jane Granger lifted her hand to cup his cheek. "I love it when you call me that," she murmured, sniffling. "Are you alright? I can't imagine being in the Hospital Wing means you're doing well," she said, her eyes running him over with worry.

"I'm fine," he assured. "But are you?" he wondered, looking back and forth from her to Henry. "My father-"

"We're heard all about it, son. We're fine. These two-" he told him, jutting his hand back at the two people beside Dumbledore, "showed up on our front lawn! They walked straight into the house, yelling that they were from The Order and we had to leave with them immediately. You can imagine that Jane here was just about in tears," he told him, shaking his head. "We thought something had happened to your or Hermione."

"Hermione's fine," he told them, nodding. "I was so scared," he admitted, realizing he was shaking slightly.

"Mr. Malfoy, you really should be resting," Madame Pomfrey called out, noticing his state.

"I'm fine," Draco said, waving a hand back at her dismissively.

"Oh no, no, no," Jane said, tutting. Taking him by the arm she led him back to the bed he had been in. "Now you lay down and get some rest, young man. Do you hear me?" she asked, staring at him with a stern expression.

"Yes ma'am," he said, nodding. She was really the only one he never back talked, besides Henry of course, but he never told him to do things he wasn't interested in doing. Madame Pomfrey had given him a sleeping potion though, so he was becoming rather drowsy by the minute. "Will you..." Licking his lips, he tried to keep his eyes open. "Will I see you when I wake up?" he wondered.

Leaning down, Jane kissed his forehead. "I'm sure we'll be able to talk soon, Draco darling. Get some sleep, now. I want you in tip top shape the next time I see you." Her thumb brushed over his cheek in a loving, motherly way.

Henry stepped up behind her, nodding down at him in the way he always has, with a reassuring smile on his face, reminding him of the TV shows he'd watched at Hermione's. The ones where father's would send their son's certain understanding smiles, assuring them that everything would be good when they woke up. Telling them that they were proud and admired their strength for whatever they've done.

"I don't want to go to sleep," he told them, his head lolling back and forth in an attempt to not only keep him awake but to show them how adamant he was. "I haven't seen you both for so long. There's so much to tell you," he said, sighing. "And so many things have happened, not entirely good, but..."

Kneeling beside his bed, Henry stared into his half closed silver eyes. "Do you remember that fishing trip we took last summer?" he asked, nodding.

Smiling lightly, Draco let out a chuckle. "Of course I do, I caught more than you and it was my first try."

Laughing, Henry nodded. "Well, do you remember that story I told you while we were waiting for the fish to bite?"

Sighing, Draco licked his lips. "Yeah," he replied. "When you were a growing boy, about my age," he began, his voice low as he repeated the story. "There were a lot of issues in life you were just beginning to deal with. Girls, your father, homework, bullies, etcetera. And it took years to deal with everything life had to throw at you. Numerous mistakes, uncountable things you wish you could take back, and moments where you wished you weren't part of the entire problem. But in the end," inhaling deeply, he let his eyes close. "In the end, it was all worth it, because you walked away with Hermione and you couldn't have asked for a better life..."

Henry chuckled, "Well, in my story I walked away with Hermione's mother, but I guess we have better insight into your love life," he told him. "Get some sleep, son."

"Okay dad," he whispered, slipping away into the quiet sleep pulling him in.

* * *

Running back to the portrait, Hermione tumbled into one of that last people she thought she'd be seeing right then. Hermione stared a the red haired girl in front of her in quite some shock. "Ginny," she said, her voice low with shock. "Er- What are you doing here?" she wondered. 

"I know you're friends with Malfoy now, but does that mean you've shunned the rest of us?" she asked, pulling herself from the floor and tugging her clothes back into proper array. Her eyes didn't look very friendly, though she had a rather inviting smile on her face. Sighing, she rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet.

Standing up from the floor, Hermione brushed herself off, unable to keep the surprise from her face. There were a number of people that she had expected to completely ignore her when her friendship with Draco became apparent, but Ginny really hadn't been one of them. She had proven Hermione wrong, however, when she went along with all the other Gryffindor's in their very obvious disowning of the Headgirl.

"I- I never shunned anyone," Hermione said, coming to her senses and shaking her head. A frown marred her mouth while she crossed her arms slightly annoyed. "It was you and everyone else who chose to shun me," she reminded, trying not to let the hurt enter into her voice.

Turning away, Ginny didn't seem to want to dignify what she had said with an answer. "Well," she said, clearing her throat. "Is Malfoy here, or may I come in?" she wondered, glancing past her.

"Actually, I was on my way out," she said, pulling the door closed behind her and glancing at Ginny rather uncomfortably. "I'm rather worried about Draco, so I've decide to go looking for him."

"Why?" Ginny asked, her eyes falling from the portrait door to look at Hermione. "I saw him awhile a go, going to Dumbledore's office after getting into a small row with Ron."

"A row?" she asked, her eyes widening. "Was it bad?"

Shrugging, Ginny shook her head. "Just verbal really. Malfoy had been running down the hall, pushing people out of the way, and Ron stopped him. They were shouting a bit until finally Malfoy just left." Sighing, she turned to gesture for them to start walking, apparently deciding that she'd accompany Hermione on her search for her friend.

Hermione wasn't sure she liked it, but she decided to walk with Ginny anyway, deciding her discomfort was likely due to the fact that things hadn't been resolved at all. Upon passing the spot where Draco's blood had been, Hermione noticed it was all cleaned up around her, as if it never happened. "Ginny, did you come this way?" she asked, glancing at her.

Frowning, the Weasley girl nodded. "Of course. Why?"

"Was there anything unusual on the floor when you passed it?" she wondered, her eyes looking over the area again with an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"No. It looked exactly like this," Ginny assured, staring at Hermione like she was mental.

Sighing, Hermione decided not to explain and continued walking. "How've... things been?" she wondered, her eyes moving around uncomfortably. Often, she'd glance outside to see if she could see anyone or anything wandering the grounds. She was feeling quite disconcerted after seeing whatever it was that was lurking in the background of The Three Broomsticks.

"Fine," Ginny said, turning her eyes towards her. "And things with you? How've they been?"

"Good," Hermione replied, attempting to smile. "Well, odd, really. But, I'm adapting," she said, shrugging. "Draco-" Stopping herself, she wondered exactly how much of friends her and Ginny really were. Was she able to talk to her about things like this? Did she find her loyal and trustworthy enough to discuss this with her? "Well, I'm sure you don't want to hear about my and Draco's friendship," she said, rubbing the back of her neck.

"No, really, that's fine," Ginny assured, a little too quickly for Hermione's liking.

Before Hermione could say anymore, however, she noticed something completely disarming. Her mouth dropped open as her feet pitched forward in a mad dash towards the group of people leaving the Hospital Wing. "Mum, dad," she exclaimed, shaking her head. "What are you doing here?" she asked, worried. "Is it Draco? I saw the blood," she said, gulping. Her worst fears were beginning to sneak up on her and she felt her knees go weak.

"No, no, love, " her father said, reaching out to pull her in for a hug. "It's a long story," he told her. "Draco is in the Hospital Wing though, he's resting. Got himself into a nasty fight, from what Madame Palm- Pom-"

"Pomfrey dear," Jane said, patting his shoulder. Opening her arms, she brought Hermione into her embrace, running her hand over his hair and kissing the top of her head. "I'm afraid there was a warning sent to Draco, telling him that your father and I could be in danger," she explained. "Draco went to your Headmaster and he sent some people over to help us to safety." Looking down at Hermione with a reassuring smile, Jane Granger patted her cheek. "It's quite alright, we weren't in any danger at the moment."

"And Draco?" she asked, glancing at her mother and father. "How is he?"

"He appears to be alright," Dumbledore told her, nodding. Sighing, he shook his head. "He hasn't given the details of it all, we just know that he was able to escape with everything in tact. He's been through quite a lot though, so rest is in very high regard right now."

Nodding, Hermione felt her heart slow to its normal pace. Glancing over at Professor Dumbledore, she noticed who the other two people were. "Prof- I mean, Remus," she exclaimed, walking forward with a smile. "It's so good to see you," she said, smiling. For a moment, though, she became worried that he might disapprove of her friendship with Draco too.

"Hullo Hermione," he greeted, smiling briefly. "It's been some times, hasn't it?"

"Too long," she agreed, nodding. "And Tonks," she said, grinning at the cheerful girl beside Lupin.

Hopping forward, she smiled brightly. "Wotcher Hermione!" she greeted, happily.

Chuckling, Hermione hugged her, glancing at Lupin with a knowing smile. "How've you two been?" she wondered. Though she really did enjoy meeting up with them, she could feel her feet itching to get in the Hospital Wing to see Draco for herself. Her eyes wandered over to the doors they were standing in front of, unable to avoid glancing.

"It's quite alright, Hermione, we'll talk to you later, I'm sure," Remus told her, stepping out of the way so she could pass.

Biting her lip, Hermione turned to her parents. "What about you two? Where will you be staying now? You can't go home," she said, her eyes wide as she shook her head.

"They'll be taken somewhere safe. For tonight, however, they will be Hogwarts guests," Dumbledore assured. "As I'm quite certain that you and Mr. Malfoy are very interested in seeing them before they're off."

Nodding, Hermione hurried over to hug each of them."Until tomorrow then," she said, backing up toward the Hospital Wing. Looking over to tell Ginny she'd talk to her later, she found the hall empty of her presence. Deciding not to think of it too much, she waved goodbye and slipped into the Hospital Wing.

The only bed being occupied was by Draco, which surprised her as she expected to see those he had fight with there too. He surely wouldn't have gone down without quite the show. He was completely knocked out when she approached his bed, kneeling down beside him. His jaw was a deep purple shade on the side, looking like he took quite a wicked hit. There were very faint red slice marks over his face, arms, and neck, which is all she could really see of him. She knew they were all over though, and recognized the spell that had been used. He'd gone through something quite similar during the summer before 6th year, when his father had been particularly angry with him and hit him with a nasty "_Sectumsempra,_" except it had taken awhile before he was treated, whereas this looked like it was dealt with rather quickly.

Knowing he took a sleeping drought, as it would be custom given his state and they had said he was resting, which he almost never did voluntarily, she pulled one of the other beds over. Not too close, just enough so that she felt assured she'd wake up when he did. Laying down, she rolled onto her side and stared at his peacefully sleeping face. Reaching out, she brushed the blonde strands of hair off his eyes. Hermione noticed the glint of the candlelight bounce off her engagement ring, causing her to smile happily, staring at her fiance. Pulling the rather stiff pillow under her head, her hand resting on Draco's chest, near his shoulder. "Fiance," she whispered, her eyes closing. "Hmm, he was right," she said, nodding slightly. "It has a great ring to it."

* * *

**A/N **_I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Bet you weren't expecting Harry to save Draco. lol._

_In response to one of my lovely reviewers, the question was, (And I've been waiting for someone to ask):  
**Are the person who sent the pictures to Skeeter, and the person who stole Hermione's journal the same person?**_

_No. They are two entirely different people! Both have connections to Hermione and Draco, though the connection has become quite dull over time._

_Thanks for reading and reviewing. I'm still interested in hearing who you think the snitch to Skeeter and the journal stealer is. Please review, I love hearing what you all think._

_Thanks a million,  
Much Love,_  
-**_Amanda_**


	12. Dear Self

**Review offering insight to the story:**

"_Believe it or not; I actually had a hunch Harry would save him. Although I do have to admit that for a minute or two I thought Draco would actually die but I knew you wouldnt be cruel enough to do that. I'm glad Harry saved him. That has to be SOME kind of step forward, right? They DID have a decent conversation, which was hilarious by the way. I can just picture Draco on rollerblades flying down a hill and falling flat on his back. Priceless. And then running into a parked car while on a skateboard! So funny.  
Im glad Jane and Henry are fine. I couldn't imagine what would have happend if Lucius got to them first. And I found it extremely cute Draco called them 'Mum' and 'Dad'. Aw. And how the whole chapter started with him saying he would do it all over again if it meant keeping Hermione safe? Wonderful. And how it all ended with Hermione laying down next to him, brushing a strand of hair out of his face and then saying how he was right and that 'fiance' had a nice ring to it? Perfect_." - **_Dan-lovr_** of FanFiction net.

**Huge thanks to the following revierwers of** _Chapter Ten_ - **_An Unlikely Occurence_**: _thejackiegirl, Kandygurl4, Aria DeLoncray, smileenov, mike tike tofu, sweetlyevil, purplecrazy2291, M03, Abraxnia, livelife-loveHGDM, IceColdShiva, Never Forget xl3, GivenPeace13, bethygirl94, Weaselbee, Lillian-is-fickle, Llama-Alapca-Llapaca, tom's a hottie, Michelle Felton,RedRoseGrave, Allie, Amarthiel, hermione, ayruh, Sises, gata2242, Jessica, wildandclear, Lote22, Kait-Lynn22, Enchanted Roses, Lana, harry2-11luva, cucu4cocopuffs, **Slywolf9, Dizzy Loser, ****HermionxDracoshipper, Dragons of Earth, ProwlingKitKat, Maybaby525, cle be, Odi et amo., mindy, HelloLonely, Princess de la Plume, dracos-soccerstar, Lady Rachel Lupin, Zarroc, Hyuga Kyuuketsuki, Sarhariah, kie-san, **_and _especially** Dan-lovr **_and_** galloping-goose.**_

_**Growing**_

_Chapter Eleven_

_Dear Self_

Draco woke up to find himself staring at Hermione's delicate face, her eyes were shut as she peacefully slept next to him. There was only a small amount of space between the cot she was on and the one he occupied. Her hand was resting comfortably near the middle of his chest, with the way his shirt was pushed, it appeared her hand had been higher. The glint of the sun caught her engagement ring, making it wink at him, as if it held a secret he wanted desperately to know. Running the tip of his finger over her hand slowly, he traced a small circle around her ring, staring down at its graceful position on her hand. As much as he loved knowing that it was a proclamation of something very big to come in their lives, he knew that somebody was bound to notice it.

Turning his head to the side, he watched her sweet face slumbering a mere six inches or so from him, a quiet look of calm on her face. Her lips were parted slightly as her breathing ran its usual pattern. A lock of chestnut hair crossed her face, riding the apple of her cheek and dangling over the side of the bed. Reaching over with his free hand, he carefully brushed the soft strand away, his hand lightly grazing her supple skin. She stirred, her face lifting, as if she wanted to press herself near his hand, hoping to feel its tender brush once more. But then her eyes opened, causing a warm feeling to rush through his stomach, rising to his chest, expanding it with a feeling he couldn't decipher.

Sighing, Hermione lazily blinked at him. "Hey handsome," she said, smiling briefly as she reached out to run her fingers over the bruises on his face.

He kept from wincing, trying his best to enjoy the tingling sensations her fingertips were evoking, rather than the sharp twinges of pain they caused when she accidentally pressed a little too hard near his mouth. He watched as a barrage of emotions crossed her features, all holding some sense of worry or panic, but all the same a note of pride. He knew she was proud of him, for whatever reason he fought, she knew he was in the right.

Looking more awake, Hermione glanced around. "Why aren't the other beds filled with groaning boys, begging for their mummies?" she asked, lifting a brow in wonder.

"I suppose they though living through the pain would be better than getting in trouble with the Headmaster," he told her, smiling. "I wouldn't have made it here on my own had it not been for Potter," he admitted, shaking his head. "I wouldn't have made it period." His voice was soft, almost a surprised whisper.

"Harry helped you?" Hermione asked, shocked.

"In the end," Draco said, nodding. "Warrington was _Avada_'ing me when Potter stepped in, shot off a deflection charm, and kicked me my wand," he explained, sighing.

Hermione's eyes widened, her mouth dropping open. "You were almost killed," she said, her voice but a whisper. "And Harry saved you," she said, shaking her head.

"It wasn't as bad as it sounds," Draco tried to reassure, smiling. "Look, I'm here aren't I?"

"Yes," she agreed, nodding. "But there was a possibility that you wouldn't be, Draco." Sitting up, she stared down at him with worried eyes. Her hair fell to one side, draping over one of her shoulders in a shimmering mass of soft curls. The light was becoming more prominent through the windows, sunray's hit her hair at just the right angle, making her look like she had a halo.

Using his arms to help him sit up, Draco felt a strain in his muscles, likely from exertion and exhaustion. "I'm fine, Hermione. You don't need to get worked up about this. Yeah, there was a fight and I could've been killed, but I'm fine," he said, shrugging.

"Only because Harry saved you," she reminded, her voice rather shrill. "If he hadn't been there, I could be preparing for a funeral right now," she said, rolling off the cot and crossing her arms as she began to pace.

Sighing, Draco crawled off the side of the bed to walk over to her. "Yeah, well I was up against nine guys and I've gotta admit, I lasted awhile. I was winning through most of it," he told her, smirking.

"You could've fought for an hour and won the first fifty-nine minutes, it would be the last minute that would decide your fate, and it appears that in the end you would've died," she said, her voice breaking at the end. Tears began to rise up her eyes, threatening to fall. "Maybe this is too much," she whispered, unable to get her voice to its regular tempo. "Maybe us being friends is just too much for this school," she said, closing her eyes and shaking her head slightly. "If it means your life-"

"Then so be it," Draco interrupted, wrapping his hands around her arms. "Listen to me," he said forcefully. "Those guys that attacked me, I can almost guarantee that they won't come anywhere near me again," he assured, seriously. "That's not to say that others won't come after them," he admitted, sighing. "There is always going to be someone who wants to prove a point." Tipping her chin, he stared down into her eyes. "Be it my father, Rita Skeeter, or a bunch of Slytherin's who think they've got what it takes," he said, shrugging. "In the end, it was worth it. When I was sure that spell was going to kill me, I didn't care. Because I wouldn't trade this, Hermione. I wouldn't trade our friendship, everything I have with you, for anything in the world."

Sniffling, Hermione stared into his eyes, silent tears still slipping down her cheeks. His hand lifted to brush them away, his hand cupping her face. Soft blonde strands of hair had fallen across his face, one falling over his eye while the other hung deftly over his cheek. She had the urge the reach out and brush it away, feeling it cut her off from staring into the beautiful swirling silver of his eyes, staring down at her with complete loyalty.

"Neither would I," she agreed, nodding. "That's probably quite dangerous," she informed him. "Being the most important people to each other at a time like this."

"One day the War will be over, but our friendship never will," he said, a smile lifting his mouth. Pulling her forward, he wrapped her in a hug, one of his hands buried in her hair while the other sat on the small of her back.

Hermione's arms slipped around his waist, holding him tightly. Her engagement ring pressed into her left hand, sitting atop her right. "Mum and dad will likely notice the ring," she told him, quietly.

"I was thinking about that," he said, sighing. Pulling back, he reached for her hand, lifting it up. "Maybe you should wear it on a necklace," he suggested. "That way you still have it close, but nobody else will really see it. As it'll be hidden beneath your robes all the time. The wedding bands will be different; not as obvious as a large diamond, anyway. And since it'll be after Christmas, if anyone asks we'll say they were Christmas gifts. I'm sure nobody will really notice though. I mean, how many people will be looking at our hands for wedding bands, right?"

"Right," Hermione agreed. "We can't tell my parents, when they find out they'll be crushed. But even if we wanted to, The Order is taking them somewhere to keep them safe. If we wanted them there, they'd have to ask, then The Order would wonder why it was so important. And we don't want them finding out about our plans," she said, shaking her head.

"I would've liked for them to be there though," he said, sighing.

"I bet mum would be ecstatic too," she said, chuckling. "She's had high hopes for you and I ever since the first summer you came to visit."

Draco's brows raised, surprised. "Really? I always thought she wanted you to date Potter," he said, frowning slightly.

Shaking her head, Hermione waved her hand with dismissal. "No, no. Harry and I are very obviously only best friends."

"And you and I aren't?" he asked.

Before Hermione could reply, the Hospital Wing doors opened to reveal Jane and Henry, smiling as they walked over to them. Draco smiled, very happy to see them. He felt something leap in his chest, which happened every time he saw the Granger's after long periods of time. Of course, he had just seen them the night before, but he hardly had a chance to talk to them or anything. They were really the closest people he had to parents, as his own were quite deficient. His mother wasn't very maternal, more like a distant aunt that he paid visits to when the occasion struck. She sometimes acted like that of Jane Granger, but only through letters while he was away at school. His father was nothing like Henry, being all about Voldemort and never acting with a paternal bone in his body. Whereas Henry tended to treat Draco as if he was the son he never had; taking him fishing, golfing, and sharing his life's wisdom with him.

The Granger parents hugged them both warmly, smiling at them happily. "Your Headmaster set us up for the night, but I'm afraid we'll be leaving for a safe house within the hour," Henry informed them.

"Do you know where?" Draco wondered, worried. "And did he put wards on the house? Are you in the Wizarding community, or muggle? Will an Order member be watching over you? Is it a well known Order member or just some slacker that's disposable?" he rattled off with concern.

Chuckling, Jane reached out to pat his shoulder in hopes of coming him. "Really, Draco dear, it's alright. I'm sure Dumbledore has taken the necessary precautions to make sure we'll be safe."

"Can we write you, or you us?" Hermione asked, frowning.

"I'm afraid not," Jane replied, shaking her head. "They're not sure who might me watching us, so they don't' want to risk exposing us to anyone."

"I guess that's understandable," Draco said, sighing. "But what if we really need to get a hold of you?" he wondered, glancing back and forth.

"That Lupin fellow said that he could pass on any messages you may have when he's in the area. Just leave them with Dumbledore, he'll pass it to Lupin, and then whoever is keeping watch over us will pass the message on. We're not completely cut off from you," Henry assured, shaking his head. "We'll always be there if either of you need us, it'll just take a little while for us to respond, as it has to go through three people first."

Sighing, Draco's shoulders slumped. He was happy they were okay but rather upset that he wouldn't be able to write or talk to them. Ever since he had become Hermione's friend and met them tat summer, he kept up a weekly correspondence with both adults, informing them of his school and how things were otherwise. He enjoyed reading what Henry had to say, always something insightful on the hardships of life, while Jane's were more of motherly affection, reminding him to do things. And always, at the end of every letter, there was the same question. "Have you been keeping up with your brushing? Remember, good teeth reflect on the person who grew them." Draco always found it an odd thought but still enjoyed reading the same thing every time, a sense of comfort and familiarity ran through him.

"We best be off," Jane said, sighing with remorse at having to say goodbye to them. Walking forward, she wrapped her arms around Hermione, rubbing her back and kissing the top of her head. "You keep up with your studies and never let your chin fall. Dumbledore informed us that the school had been reacting rather negatively to your and Draco's friendship, which I'm quite sad to hear. But don't you let them get you down, if they can't see that you two are truly wonderful people, then they're all blind!" she exclaimed, rather angrily. Smiling, she sighed as she looked down on her daughter. "Be good, darling, we'll be seeing you in no time."

Nodding, Hermione smiled a watery grin up at her mum, biting down on her lip as she always hated goodbyes.

Moving over, Jane brought Draco down for a hug, she was quite short compared to him, her head reaching to about his chest. Her head was brought down to her shoulder as she patted his back and kissed his cheek. "You take care of yourself, darling." Pulling back slightly, she ran her thumb over his bruises gingerly, frowning at them. "I don't want you getting hurt anymore, I worry about you. What with that dangerous game you play, with the flying," she said, wringing her hands. "And then the Death Eaters all over, and I can't imagine your father is too ecstatic if he's heard the news of you and Hermione," she said, grimacing. "And now the other students," she continued, tsking. "You don't deserve all this turmoil, darling." Sighing, she shook her head. "Keep a level head and never let them drag you down, you're far too intelligent and good to put up with any of their racket!"

"I'll be on my best behavior," he promised, kissing her cheek. "And I'll try my best to keep out of trouble. It's Hermione you have to watch out for, she's the real troublemaker," he said, smirking.

Snorting, Hermione smiled at him before hugging her father, patting his shoulder.

"Isn't that the truth," Henry commented, grinning. "Do try to refrain from anything dangerous while we're away, daughter of mine," he said, staring at Hermione hopefully. "Nothing too death defying," he suggested. "What am I saying? Telling you to try bungy jumping would be more likely."

"Bun- what now?" Draco asked, his brow furrowing.

Chuckling, Henry shook his head before, clapping his shoulder. "I can't add much to what Jane said to you, except that I want you to try your best to be careful. And always remember, no matter what people say, you'll always have us behind you," he assured. "And son, please try and stop Hermione from all of her dangerous business. I've had quite enough scares over these last six and a half years, I don't need another owl telling me that Hermione's just escaped something horrific."

"With the War approaching, I'm really not sure I should promise too much," Draco said, honestly.

"I always admire how truthful you are," Henry said, nodding.

"I can promise that I'll always be there though," he told them, seriously. "I don't know if that's reassuring though," he said, tapping his chin. "Then you're likely to receive two owls stating that we both just got away only minorly scathed by another of Hermione's harebrained schemes."

"Harebrained schemes," Hermione shrieked, frowning.

Draco smirked, amused with her reaction.

Chuckling, Henry and Jane left them with a warm smile before exiting the Hospital Wing, leaving their daughter and her best friend alone.

Deciding to make their way over to the Head Tower, in need of showers and clean clothes for the day ahead, Draco and Hermione put the cots back in order before heading out. The halls were slowly starting to fill, kids made their way down to the Great Hall, occasionally taking notice of the two friends on their quiet walk. Some appeared surprised by Draco's face, while others shot him a smug look; in both instances, Draco held back comments.

When they walked through the portrait door, Hermione scooped up her bagged wedding dress, a smile creeping up into her face. She shook her head when he eyed the thick bag in her hands, interested in its contents. Hurrying away, she hid it somewhere in her room while he started stripping his shirt off, feeling like he hadn't showered in ages. He was still quite tired, but figured he'd get past it after the hot water startled his senses into proper working order.

Just as Draco was about to step into the bathroom, an unknown owl flew threw the window, something hanging from its leg. Backing up, Draco caught the bird, untying the hanging papers with confusion. There were three in total, all scrawled out in Hermione's familiar handwriting. Checking the date, his face creased with confusion: January 15, 1994, it read. His eyes scanned over the contents with surprise, not reading every word but trying to grasp what its importance was by just noticing a few key names and such.

Turning, his eyes wide, Draco half-ran to Hermione's bedroom door, throwing it open and walking in. Hermione let out a shriek of surprise, but noticed what was in his hand almost instantly. Holding them out to her, Draco shook his head. "An owl just dropped them off," he told her. "Just this, nothing else."

Taking it from him, Hermione bit her lip, shivering slightly; Draco assumed from the discomfort of knowing somebody was out there reading all of her private thoughts, rather than the morning breeze. Slumping back, she sat down on her bed, her chin drooping. "Why are they doing this?" she asked, quietly, her voice wobbly. Balling it up, Hermione threw the papers at the wall in frustration.

Sighing, Draco walked over to sit down beside her. "We'll find out who it is," he assured, reaching out to wrap his hand around her curled fist. "Whoever it is, we'll find out. Along with whoever told Skeeter, alright?"

Nodding, Hermione leaned to the side, her head cradling on his shoulder. Sniffling, she unclenched her fist to hold his hand. "I just want it all to stop," she told him, softly. "I want everybody to stop staring at us, I want them to stop talking behind our backs, and I want this stupid War to end."

"I know," Draco said, his thumb running over her hand for comfort. "Until then, we'll just have to put up with all of this. But like your mum said, we'll keep our chins and spirits up. There's no use in letting them know they're bothering us, that'll just fuel their idiocy."

Nodding, Hermione sat up, blinking away her tears. "Right," she said, nodding. "I think I'll sit at the Gryffindor table today," she told him, confidently. "This time, they'll make room," she said, firmly.

"Alright then," Draco said, standing up. "Don't forget to put your ring on a chain," he reminded, picking her hand up to run his thumb over the beautiful piece of jewelry.

Nodding, Hermione stared down at it, smiling.

Draco left to shower and change, hurrying his actions as he was worried there wouldn't be time to eat if he didn't. He waited in the Common Room as Hermione went through her morning routine too, flipping through a textbook as he waited. When she emerged from her bedroom, her book bag over her shoulder and a confidant smile on her face, Draco couldn't help but hope the day would turn out better.

Leaving the Head Tower, Draco draped his arm over her shoulder, telling her about what her and Harry had talked about, reminding her of his fouled up lessons in being a normal muggle teenager. Hermione laughed when she remembered everything, a red blush ran over her cheeks upon thinking of the great days of the past. Chuckling, she shook her head. "No, the best time had to be when I was trying to teach you how to ride a bike," she told him, grinning.

Groaning, Draco shook his head. "Don't remind me," he said, wincing.

"Oh yes," she said, happily. "When you were peddling as hard as you could, except backwards. And then when you rode straight into my dad, screaming and waving your arms, losing control of the bike even more, making the both of you and the bike fall over in a heap," she said, covering her mouth with her hand, barely managing to stifle her laughter.

"Yes, yes, it was terribly funny," he said, rolling his eyes. "I actually grew to do that quite well, if you remember correctly. We used to ride to that store down the road, remember? After I convinced you to sit on the handlebars and we'd go down that slope, which always terrified you," he said, smiling lightly. "And pick up one of those ice drinks, what are they called again?" he asked, cocking his eyebrow. "As delicious as they taste, they never fail to give me a headache."

"A slurpee," Hermione told him, nodding. "Yeah, I loved those days. Summer afternoons when the sun was just setting but the air was still warm. You did learn to ride quite well," she admitted. "And I was never that scared of the slope, just mildly," she said with a sigh.

"You screamed the first three or so times we went down," he reminded, laughing. "Remember when that lady yelled at you to shut up?" he asked, chuckling. "And then you shouted a curse word at her."

"I did not," Hermione said, blushing.

"You did too," Draco assured, smirking. "The expression on her face was priceless, and then yours when you realized what you'd said." Shaking his head, he grinned happily. "One of our best days, don't you agree?"

"It's hard to pick, we've had so many," she told him, smiling. As they approached the Great Hall, Draco pulled the door out for them, letting his arm linger around her shoulders until they broke apart to walk to their separate tables. Glancing at Blaise, he noticed that his best friend was rather surprised to see Hermione making her way to the Gryffindor table.

Sitting down in the center, Draco looked around at the students sitting near him, before giving them a sharp look, as if to dare them to say anything. Turning away quickly, they returned to their food.

"Why's Princess over there?" Blaise wondered, nodding his head to her.

"She's decided to exercise her Gryffindor courage," Draco replied, scooping some hashbrowns onto his plate and shrugging. "Can't blame her for trying, she's can't come off scared 'round them all the time. They'll just continue to treat her badly."

Lifting his eyes, he watched as she walked down the table slowly, eyeing the students as they spread out. Stopping in the middle, she raised her hands to her hips, staring down at Seamus Finnigan and Lavender Brown. Her face became stiff and commanding. "Well, make room," she ordered, her tone unwavering.

Glancing up at her, rather surprised, it took them a moment but they did as they were told. A smile slowly graced her features, her chin raised, shooting a look of relief to Draco and Blaise. Smiling at her, Draco nodded in approval, lifting his drink to her in salute. Just as Draco was about to start eating, owls began swarming in through the windows, holding rolled up pieces of parchment. Dropping them off with their respective owners, they flew off quickly. Those students who didn't have owls, received the same from the school owls, oddly enough.

Draco slowly unfurled the parchment that Jasper had dropped off for him, he only read past the first line before his eyes bulged with worry. Shaking his head, he turned to Blaise, pulling it out of his hand. "That's Hermione's journal entry," he whispered with anger.

Blaise's brows shot up with surprise and confusion.

"Someone stole her journal," Draco explained, getting out of his seat. Not sure what to do, he glanced over at Hermione who hadn't yet opened the parchment waiting for her. Looking over to Blaise, he shrugged before he began walking down the line of his table, grabbing the papers out of students hands before they could read what was written, or at least before they read it all. Following suit, Blaise went the opposite way, yanking it out of kids hands and stuffing them in his pockets or under his arms for safekeeping.

"Hey," kids would yell, annoyed with their actions.

"Give it back," others would say, reaching for it. A sharp glare from either boy made them stop their outrage immediately.

Looking across the room, he saw Hermione looking at him with confusion before opening her parchment to see what was written. Her face paled before she dropped the toast in her hand and leapt from her seat. Reaching out to everyone who was beside her, she began pulling their reading material away from them, angry tears milling in her eyes.

Glancing down the table, he saw dawning slowly hit Potter, before he did the noble thing and began taking papers out of everyone's hands, shaking his head. Hermione didn't seem to notice, but Harry continued on, taking the journal entries from everyone near him, nobody seemed to question his actions, except one.

"Come on, Harry," Ron said, shrugging. "It's just a little light reading," she joked.

Glaring at him, Harry ripped it from his hands, tearing it in front of his face before he stuffed it in his robes.

Luna, realizing what was happening, had stood up on the other end of the Great Hall, collecting the private papers just like the others. When Draco checked the front to see what the professors had to say, he found that Dumbledore had held a hand up to them. He silenced his staff from commenting on the actions of the students below, trusting well enough that the Headboy and girl would be justified in whatever they were doing.

Draco, Blaise, Hermione, Luna, and Harry collected all that they could, but students had already read as much as they could, if not all of it in the short time they had. Those who read the entry in full passed it on to others, and some managed to hide theirs from the hands of the five students trying to tear them away. After getting as many away as they could, they performed a spell to erase the information and dispose of the papers. The five left the Great Hall, Hermione completely distraught about what had happened.

"Don't worry, I'm sure nobody will remember by lunch," Blaise tried to reassure, but his wince gave him away.

Luna sighed, looking over at Hermione without her usual dreamy look. "It couldn't be too bad, right?" she said, frowning. "People probably won't pay _that_ much attention to it."

"We got the papers away from most of them," Harry told her, crossing his arms. "Those who still have it will likely spread it around, but we can head off any rumors before they get too bad," he said, honestly. "Give it a couple days and they'll find something else to focus on. And like Luna said, it's probably not as bad as you think."

Hermione ran her hands under her eyes, nodding as them. The bell rang, announcing the end of breakfast, making them all disband to go to their classes. Draco walked with Hermione, noticing her broken state and wanting to be near her as long as he could before they parted ways.

"Did you read it?" Hermione asked, her voice quiet.

"No," he told her, shaking his head. "I got through the first sentence and knew what it was."

Pulling something from her book bag, Hermione handed it to him, looking up to stare into his eyes. "Read it," she told him, nodding shortly before she turned to walk into her classroom.

Sighing, Draco began walking to his own class, unfurling the page and frowning. He really didn't like the idea of reading Hermione's private thoughts, whether they be how she felt in the past or not. He preferred hearing it straight from her, instead of breaking into her mind by reading something so personal. However, if she was telling him to read it, she had to have a reason, so he did what she told him to; he read it.

January 15, 1994

Why people write 'Dear Journal,' and the such is beyond me. I'm not writing in anything that could respond, but an inanimate object. Therefore, to write 'Dearest Diary,' and the like would be like giving this book some kind of life, of which it does not have. So, instead, I will write:

Dear Self,

You are likely reading this in the future; where things have changed, hopefully for the better. As Harry fights in the TriWizard Tournament, you are in your own battle. One in which there is no real winning or losing, but a simple choice. To let this friendship that is suddenly forming with Draco Malfoy keep going, or to stomp it out as soon as possible. Why, you ask, are you suddenly so feeling towards a boy who taunted and criticized you from the moment you set foot in the Wizarding world? The answer is simple; he is not the boy you met three and a half years ago. Was he ever really that way, you are unsure.

It all started because you happen to be a rather nosy person, always getting in others business when you should really just keep your nose firmly pressed in a book, studying without end. But he looked so pained that you couldn't help but ask, and lo and behold, it only took a couple weeks before he finally admitted things were not as perfect as they might seem. He is the son of a vile man, of this you are sure, but to say that he is like his father would be a lie. He does not speak the same language as Lucius Malfoy, nor does he think the same thoughts.

Draco Malfoy is really just a boy searching for his identity, caught in the web his father has woven, filling his innocent mind with lies, but he isn't the smartest boy in the school for nothing. He has figured this out all on his own, has realized that not everything Lucius Malfoy says is the truth. While Draco tends to come off as an egotistical prat, he's really shown a completely other side of himself. The side that doesn't harbor hatred toward muggleborns or even Harry, really. He doesn't live a life of treachery, built on a deep seeded disgust of all those Lucius tells him are 'lower' than him. He is but a boy trying to be the person that will keep him from being beaten on a daily basis. A lonely boy looking for a real friendship, in a world where such things are hard to come by.

So the question remains: To continue with this growing friendship with Draco Malfoy, or to stop it as soon as possible? What reasons could you have for ending it really? Aside from the fact that your best friends loathe him for his past actions. That your House would stick your head on a pike for even considering the possibility. And then of course, because there's always that possibility that you may never really get past all of the hurtful names he's called you, all those scathing remarks about your worth. Then again, you know a side of him that no one else knows.

Why is he worth being friends with, you ask? Surprisingly, Draco Malfoy happens to be one of the most understanding boys' you've ever met. You know, in fact, it's not all that surprising. Your best friends are quite... unfeeling at times. While they are preoccupied with Quidditch, Beauxbaton girls, and Cho Chang, you are dealing with problems that only Draco seems to listen to. Where he managed to get this great sense of understanding, you are unsure, but it's managed to make the two of your quite close.

I think you've answered your question then, Hermione Granger. While there are things standing in your way, there are equally as many telling you that no one has the right to pick and choose your friendships for you. And even if this one stays locked away and hidden from the world, you can take comfort in knowing that Draco Malfoy will always understand. Because as odd as it may sound, right now, he's the only one that does.

Draco hadn't realized that he'd been sitting in his next class, completely absorbed by her writings. He wasn't sure how many people knew exactly what it said, but he was almost happy that it was out there now. While it could be rather revealing in some senses, he felt a slight sense of pride at knowing how Hermione felt about him, even back then. Though there were a few jabs at his former personality, and even some at the lack of understanding from her friends, House, and the like, it wasn't nearly as scary as she might think. It made her seem more real, actually. To those in the school who didn't really know her, they just managed to get a piece of Hermione's soul, written out for all to read.

Despite the fact that he rather enjoyed the piece, he knew many others wouldn't. Hermione was obviously very stressed out about it, meaning it had to be dealt with quickly and efficiently. He had a few things to take care of, really; turning around, Draco glanced at Crabbe and Goyle as they prodded each other with their work supplies.

Blaise sat beside him, following his gaze. "Planning a little revenge?" he wondered, smirking.

"On a number of people," Draco told him, nodding. "I'm going to find out who told Skeeter about Hermione and I, who took her journal, and exact some very sweet revenge on the guys who got in my way last night," he told him, firmly. Turning, he stared at his best friend. "You in?"

Slowly, Blaise's mouth lifted into a smirk almost equal to Draco's. "When am I not a part of the worst of schemes?" he asked.

"You have a point," he said, nodding. "We start tonight."

"On which part?" Blaise asked, shaking his head slightly.

"All three," he told him. "We need to brew some things for the guys, do some research for the Journal thief, and write Rita Skeeter an interesting letter."

Nodding, Blaise grinned excitedly, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Good. I've been waiting for something like this to happen. I was worried my 7th year was going to be boring," he told him, sighing.

"Yes, it's already been such a bore," Draco said, rolling his eyes.

"Not for you maybe," Blaise said, shrugging. "But you happen to have Princess," he reminded, frowning. "Merlin I need a girlfriend," he muttered.

Laughing, Draco nodded in agreeance.

As class started, Draco turned around in his seat to pay attention to the professor standing at the front. His mind wandered for a moment, wondering how Hermione was doing. He really had to stop thinking of her all the time, his mind never seemed to be occupied with anything else. With everything she was going to have to deal with in the near future, she shouldn't have to worry about her best friend falling in love with her. Unfortunately, he knew that his feelings weren't about to reverse in the near future, if ever. Draco Malfoy had fallen in love with his best friend, Hermione Granger; and he knew that if it ever got out, all hell was going to break loose.

**

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**A/N **_I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope you enjoyed reading it. Writing Hermione's journal was a very fun task! _

**Are the people who stole the journal and sent the pictures in, both Gryffindors?**

_No. One is either a Gryffindor or someone who has access to Gryffindor Tower when she/he is not supposed to. As he/she is the one who took the journal from Hermione's book bag tried to hide it in Gryffindor Tower, which means she/he stole it from the Head Tower, saying that he/she knows the Head Tower password also.  
The person who sent the pictures in is also not the person who had the pictures taken in the first place. Nor do either have a House, as they are not students at Hogwarts.  
So there are three people that are playing very important roles in the story. Whether their actions were in a saboteur relation or not, is still unclear. As you the reader cannot be entirely sure of any of their actions so far. Not everything is as it seems._

**Are Blaise/Luna/Harry, a love triangle now?**

_While I've noticed lately that many readers are beginning to find interest in a possible Luna/Blaise relationship, I'm not quite sure whether I want to lean that way. While there is the opportunity for such a bond, I'm not quite sure if I want to. I would like to know who is and isn't a supporter of the couple. Or whether you the reader would prefer a Harry/Luna coupling. It certainly has an impact on the story and I will take it into consideration. As Blaise is one of my favorite characters in this story and I do want him to be happy. Harry will be playing a very large part though, and as most of my loyal readers know, I love Harry/Luna, as shown in my BITTT story._

**Also, someone commented on worrying about whether Blaise's feelings would cause problems for the Hermione/Draco pairing.**

_As Blaise has said to Draco when he wondered what he would do if in the end Hermione didn't love him back and they dissolved their marriage:_

"And if in the end, you're still in love with her and she has yet to reciprocate the feelings, then you'll let her go... Because as much as you love her, all you want is her happiness. If that means letting her go so she can be with someone else, then so be it."

_So what Blaise is saying, besides giving Draco advice, is that he's admitting defeat. He's not going to try and get Hermione to fall for him, he's not going to tell Hermione how he feels. And he's not going to get in the way of what might be happening between her and Draco. Draco is his best friend, and though Blaise loves Hermione, he really just wants her to have the life that will make her happy. So, don't worry about Blaise, I don't want him to be that guy whosefeelings interferes with the love of the main characters. He's bowing out gracefully and accepting that he'll only ever have a friendship with Hermione._

_I hope that clears up any questions anybody has. Feel free to ask more, I can clear up anything as long as it's not asking me straight out who the three people are that are causing problems. Thank you all for reading. I hope you are enjoying the story so far._

_Please review, it's greatly appreciated._

_Much Love,  
-**Amanda**_


	13. Return of Sherlock

**Review offering insight to the story:**

"_Hello, I've been keeping a close eye on this story as well as BITTT. Your writing is absolutely amazing. I'm not a big fan of Harry Potter, for me to read it, well you can imagine. Your stories captivates me and it leads me to want more. My brother actually came to my room when I was reading your story and he was quiet shocked that I was reading something that had to do with Harry Potter, in the end he laughed at me lol. I'm really curious to see who are the three betrayers. I'm thinking that it might be Ron, Pansy and Ginny. I would like to keep the reason why I think so to myself for now. I know there is a chance I might me wrong and I'm looking forward to when they will be revealed. To have Blaise and Luna together, will bring another twist to the story that might be a good thing and keeping your readers in suspence, wondering what would happen with Harry. But then again I really like the Luna and Harry pairing, you wrote it so well in BITTT. What ever you decide to do, I'm positive it will be a great read_." - **_Kourui_** of FanFiction net.

**Thank you to the following reviewers of** _Chapter Eleven_ - _**Dear Self**_: _tom's a hottie, cle be, HermionexDracoshipper, Sam's Firefly, Michelle Felton, Aria DeLoncray, clueless33396, Caligirl-HPLVR, ayruh, Kaye Chan, Melissa, Kitsune Kida, Mrs.JamesPotterxxxx, Sesella Stellae, Amatheriel, _**_Abraxnia, Weaselbee, HelloLonely, RedRoseGrave, Zarroc, Enchanted Roses, PiperPaigePhoebe01, smileenov, Desi Zephyr, ProwlingKitKat, kie-san, Elemental Dragon1, Slywolf9, original-rebel, Kait-Lynn23, Princess De La Plume, annieca, Loca4Anime, mskiti, cucu4cocopuffs, Lote22, Dizzy Loser,_ **and _especially_** _JpJr, Ode et amo., Jessica, Hyuga Kyuuketsuki, dan-lovr, Feltonluver4eva _**(Forgiven! lol. I could never be mad at you! You're such a loyal reviewer/reader!) and** _galloping-goose_.**

**_Growing _**

_Chapter Twelve_

_Return of the Sherlock_

It had been exactly one week since the incident with Hermione's journal entry being splashed around for all to read. Though the five students had banded together to stop any criticism from breaking out and reassured Hermione constantly that people were forgetting, the fact was that everyone had not forgotten, nor would they let her. Hermione constantly heard people snickering about how she didn't value her friendship with Ron and Harry enough, likely because she had said in her entry that they could be unfeeling and hadn't been listening to her. Or possibly because she was openly friends with Draco now; their disgust at the show was quite obvious, really. Gryffindor's, no matter their year, were very confidant in telling her exactly what they thought. The Ravenclaw's and Hufflepuff's were not so comfortable stating their thoughts, but they were cruel enough in their staring, whispering, and constant ridiculing expressions.

Then there were the comments from Slytherin's, telling her that she didn't know Draco at all; reminding her that he was a Slytherin straight down to his dark soul. They refused to believe her journal entry, deciding it was just worthless hopes of a girl in love with a bad boy. While most of the boys had begun pretending that Draco was in fact not their Slytherin Prince any longer, the girls took a different approach. Now knowing that he wasn't the property of Pansy Parkinson, they were freely fawning over him as much as possible. In fact, most girls were; no matter what their House. The Slytherin Princes was lonely, girls thought. He needed someone to take his woeful disposition away for a night. Hermione wasn't sure how many more times she could take hearing that he had been propositioned for a night in a broom closet or the like.

That said, the guys were even more pissed at him, as he was getting attention from everyone. Causing an uproar of boys who simply loathed Draco, not just because he had been a royal prat in the past, but because it was now thoroughly obvious that he was simply the most handsome boy in the school. Aside from maybe Harry Potter, but he was currently in a relationship; one Hermione was sure wasn't going to last much longer. While the boys from all the Houses were not commenting out loud, they made it clear to Draco that he was not welcome around any of them. All but Blaise were outright rude gits to him at every possible moment. In fact, Harry wasn't bothering him either, really. He never commented when Ron or any other Gryffindor boy had something scathing to say to him, instead pretending he was busy studying or hadn't noticed the small fight going on between his friends and the Slytherin boy.

Hermione hadn't heard any news from the mysterious person who had sent her journal around, but she had a feeling Draco was working on it. As she found him and Blaise constantly talking in undertones whenever they walked down the halls, plus they were concocting a potion of some sort that he adamantly assured her she wanted no part of. He was receiving constant post from the chapel outside of Hogsmeade, but whenever she asked the contents he simply winked at her and told her she's see on Christmas.

Hermione noticed Lucius Malfoy's owl hanging around the Head Tower on a regular basis, sometimes with post, but often it would simply sit on the window stoop, watching her. She couldn't help but feel a chill whenever her eyes landed on the bird, but reassured herself that it was simply an owl; what could it really do to her? Draco never shared what his post from his father entailed, but Hermione could tell from his expression whenever he received any post that it was never good. She didn't press him on the matter however, as he seemed adamant on not upsetting her with whatever lie inside.

Despite her hopes of speaking to either Lupin or Tonks, Dumbledore had informed her that both of them had been sent on assignment and wouldn't be returning for at least another week, so she was out of luck. Though Harry seemed rather inclined to help her the morning of the episode involving her journal, he hadn't tried to make any contact with her since. And Hermione was almost inclined to think that maybe he was just being the nice guy he'd always been rather than the best friend she wished would return to her. As the days passed, she found herself growing less happy about her wedding, only because Harry wouldn't be there to reassure her that she was making the right decision.

Her relationship with Harry was unlike any other; not romantic, but not simply plutonic either. He had his own place altogether; a part that couldn't be replaced by anyone. While Ron had been her best friend for six and a half years, he had never been able to reach the height Harry had, likely because of their constant squabbling. And though Draco had been her other half since the middle of her fourth year, he too had another place with her, one that she still hadn't fully deciphered. All in all though, she knew that she needed Harry in her life and it hurt her more and more each day to think that he may never return to her.

With her schoolmates being so very spiteful toward her, Hermione found herself staying in the Head Tower more often. Luna often came to spend time with her, but she seemed to be growing rather upset about her own life lately. Hermione believed it to be that Luna's feelings for Harry were becoming more apparent to her and realizing quite obviously that Harry wasn't going to come right out and return them any time soon. As he didn't seem to realize who he really had feelings for; his relationship with Ginny seemed to be faltering, even in the public eye. Though Hermione and Harry had kept their distance, it was easy to see that the fiery red head and the strong raven haired boy just weren't speaking very often and when they were, it was quite strained.

Ginny hadn't returned to talk to Hermione in recent days, instead shooting her inquisitive looks but never approaching her. Hermione wasn't completely trusting of the girl any longer and chose simply to keep her distance. Lately, she was rather on edge about who might have her journal, and whether or not they might be sending another part of her written soul for all those to read once again. Plus there was always the lingering question of who had found out about Hermione and Draco's secret friendship so long ago and took the pictures of them. She couldn't help but wonder why it was that they had chosen now of all times to rat the two out; as it seemed rather late.

Blaise had become a permanent guest in the Head Tower, currently sleeping on the couch every night. Fearing his life in the Slytherin boys dormitory, he had asked if he could stay over for just one night and hadn't left since. Neither Hermione or Draco had found it odd and didn't complain about his staying as he was quite welcomed by both of them. It took some schedule rearranging as Hermione and Draco had a regular routine most mornings that had to be changed to fit a third person, but they didn't mind in the least. It was better than worrying about his safety every night, stuck with the angry and vengeful Slytherin boys.

Hermione had become quite aware though that Luna have been telling the truth about Blaise's feelings toward her. While he was never blatantly obvious about it, she could now hear it in his voice whenever her called her Princess. There was also a deep sense of sadness hidden behind his cerulean eyes every time the wedding was brought up, and his usually enigmatic smile faltered in its brave show of happiness. Though she felt bad for the boy, as she had always held a soft spot for him ever since that day she had met him in first year when he had been the real gentleman and helped her with her books, she simply didn't return his feelings. He truly was a wonderful friend though, to both her and Draco. Hermione also noticed he had grown quite the friendship with Luna, over the Quibbler most likely. It was obvious that there was no romantic feelings from either of them, but they seemed to share each others sorrow in unrequited love.

Because Hermione was spending so much time in her room as of late, she found herself wearing her engagement ring more often. Though she was quite careful when it came to leaving the Head Tower, she rather enjoyed how it looked on her small finger. It held onto a dream that she hadn't realized she had, one she wasn't sure she should be relishing in. The feelings she had been wondering about in her journal for a few months before it was stolen were becoming a whole lot more blatant as of late. With the approaching wedding and her friendship with Draco now being easy to show, she was feeling a bit more like a girlfriend rather than a best friend.

Draco's arm was almost always slung over her shoulder when they walked together and though this had been customary in the past, it didn't happen quite as often because they weren't given much time alone back before their friendship had come out. He kissed her on the forehead or cheek every night before she left for bed and Hermione couldn't help but sigh almost every time. There was a warming spark running through her every time his lips pressed against her skin. It scared her sometimes, and thrilled her others. She was worried that it was going to become obvious to others that her feelings were now changing, but Draco -who knew her best- didn't seem to notice, so it put her at ease slightly.

He was completely true in his promise not to stray before the wedding, as he was always brushing off the many girls who seemed to swarm him at every moment. He seemed to take it in stride, pretending they weren't there a lot of time, or talking to them as if they were like any other person, not someone staring at him with lustful eyes. Hermione had to give him credit for his self restraint, as even the beautiful Cho Chang had been brushed off by Draco when she asked him if he'd like to accompany her to Hogsmeade that weekend. Blaise liked to bug him with comments about his sexuality coming into question if he didn't start showing some kind of appeal toward the throngs of girls begging at his feet. But Draco's answer was always the same, a simple wink at Hermione with a soft grin before he'd turn to Blaise and wink at him with fake lust, just to annoy his best friend. Then after Blaise made a startled expression, Draco would laugh and tell him, "You wish, Zabini!"

This display of odd brotherly care always warmed Hermione; as the two boys were completely great to hang out with. No matter what her spirit, they always managed to make her laugh or smile. While she was never allowed to come into Draco's room when they were working on their mysterious potion, they always involved her in everything else. Even if it was a simple study session; they rather lightened things up actually. Hermione found herself enjoying her studies even more than usual, adding their humor and comfort to her regular bookworm abilities. It helped that she was sitting with two very intelligent boys, so while they were all very high up in their classes and had to study hard to keep it that way, they were able to feed off each other. Keeping one another from becoming frazzled over the harder subjects and helping each other when some subjects just weren't their thing.

For example, Hermione was deathly afraid of flying; knowing this, Draco arranged for her to start taking lessons with either him or Blaise every second day. Because both of them were on the Quidditch team, though Draco didn't think he was anymore, they were avid flyers and loved being high in the sky. Plus, Blaise was rather bad at Arithmancy, so Hermione was tutoring him in the subject to help him along. Draco didn't really have any troubles in anything, but he did let Hermione read through his homework each night, adding things here or there.

It was amazing what had transpired in just a week; though Hermione was certainly ignored by ninety percent of the population of Hogwarts, she had grown a tight bond with those who were still around her. Even with Luna being rather down in the dumps, she was growing even closer to Hermione than she had been in the past; Hermione decided it was because there was always the looming lie of never telling her about Draco that kept them apart in the past. The four teens had grown to become a rather tightknit group in actuality, often spending their evenings hanging out together in the Head Tower.

All in all though, Hermione and Draco hadn't lost any of their former friendship, being more close to each other than ever before. Despite her growing feelings, Hermione was still able to tell him virtually everything that came to mind and spent her days enjoying his company more and more. Though the way their friendship had come out was not ideal, a great deal of stress had been lifted from her shoulders. Now she was free to be his friend in the public eye and though she was ridiculed for it, she was starting to disregard what everyone else thought. She was comfortable being with him more now, no longer commenting on whether or not the halls would be empty or full, worrying what people might say. Instead, she happily walked wherever with him, his arm holding her comfortably to his side. Ignoring the staring, gossiping, and sneering sent their way had become easier over time.

It was currently twenty-two days until her wedding to her best friend and Hermione was feeling emptier than usual. Blaise was in the shower, as it was his time slot for the moment, so she simply lay in her bed, watching how the sun slowly lit up her room. She usually didn't wake up for another twenty minutes, which would be when she'd hear Draco's amused laughter, after having a light conversation with Blaise before he left for his shower.

Something had woken her up however, and she believed it to be the realization that hit her in her dreams. As confusing and tangled as her thoughts had been while she slept, one thing was certain. She had been dancing with Draco, dressing in the wedding outfits; and while doing so, she had said something that caused him to pull away from her violently, shaking his head and telling her that she was wrong and had done a horrible thing. Sadly enough, the thing she had done was tell him that she wasn't lying when she said she would love and cherish him for all her life; that she truly meant it when she said she loved him and not in just a friendly way.

Hermione's eyes burned slightly, as it became obvious to her now that the feelings that had been building up since the summer, or possibly since the middle of fourth year, were now blatantly real. She had fallen in love with her best friend, her fiancé, and the boy that would never see her as anything but the first title. They had a lasting bond, one that would likely never end, but to interrupt it with her feelings would be wrong. Yes, they were getting married, but not for the reason that she rather hoped for, but instead to save him from a fate he didn't deserve. While she would be the doting wife, truly in love with her husband, he would be the relieved husband, grateful to his best friend for saving him.

Lifting her hand, her engagement ring catching the sun and glinting beautifully, Hermione brushed away the silent tear that slipped from her eye, ridding it from her face. For Draco was a very receptive person and would notice something was wrong by simply glancing at her. Trying to get her emotions under control, she heard the creak of her door open and almost jumped. Her hand twitched, almost reaching for her wand, but she felt a calming sensation almost instantly and knew it was Draco. The dip in the mattress alerted her of how right she was, as Blaise was never presumptuous in even so much as sitting on her bed. The only other two people that would possibly come by would be Luna or Harry, the last was quite unlikely and she would've seen him come through the window as he still didn't know the new password. Plus, Luna wasn't really an early-bird, usually she'd arrive at the Great Hall halfway through breakfast, still looking half asleep and dragging her feet behind her as she ran a curled hand over her tired eyes.

Rolling over, Hermione found Draco staring back at her, a content expression over his face. Instead of saying anything, he simply laid down beside her, his eyes locked on hers. He did this some mornings; Hermione never really questioned it, as she liked him being the first person she saw when she woke up. Even before she realized she was in love with him, she had enjoyed how he'd arrive in her room, curling up beside her.

The first time had been the summer before sixth year, when he had been spending a few weeks with her and her parents. It was his second to last morning with them and he had snuck in to see her. She had been half asleep at the time, as she always woke up early but it was exceptionally so when he appeared by her bed. He was fiddling with his hands, staring down at her before he kneeled by the mattress to see if she was awake at all. Instead of being startled or rather annoyed that he was kind of waking her up, she simply lifted the blanket, inviting him to join her for the half asleep, half awake time before they'd get up to the delicious scent of her mother's pancakes and bacon. They didn't say a thing for the first hour, simply laying beside each other, lazily enjoying the cool breeze and warm sun beating down on them.

Then he spoke, explaining his actions, though she never really questioned them in the first place. "Sometimes, I wish I never had to leave," he had whispered to her, likely because he didn't want to break the peaceful quiet that wrapped them up. "I wish I could just stay here with you, with them, and live this life forever. No more Hogwarts, no more magic or any of the problems that come with it. Just spend my time swimming in the lake down the road, and learning to use muggle teenage gadgets like bikes and fishing poles."

Sighing, his eyes connected with hers, showing her just how completely honest he was being, how much he really did want that. "I wish I could change my name from Malfoy; give up the title of heir and the restrictions and expectations it entails. I wish I could live here, under the loving eyes of your parents, and never have to know what it feels like to not be loved again. I'd never have to return to the cold, unfeeling atmosphere of Malfoy Manor, where my mother roams around, lifeless and dreadfully depressed all the time. Never have to watch her place the facade of a mask on whenever father's _friends_ dropped by for another party."

Shaking his head, he closed his soft silver eyes for a moment, stopping the tears that had collected there. "And you and I, we could live the muggle life, as mildly boring as you might think it is. We could get muggle jobs and go to that school that muggle teenagers go after they've finished their seventh year. And one day, we could move out of your parents house and get our own apartment. And Jane would cry, because she hates it whenever we try to tell her that we're growing up. But Henry would understand, because he's like the father's on those muggle TV programs. The father's that always understand, are always proud no matter what happens. Nothing like my father," he said, morosely.

"And we'd never look back, Hermione," he told her, quietly. "Because you and I, we could get away from it all. We could avoid everything that might try to tear us apart. The War, purebloods, Voldemort, my father, everyone who wouldn't approve of us being friends." Shaking his head, he stared at her once more, the sorrowful hope staring her blank in the eyes. "We could do that, right Hermione?" he asked, almost pleadingly. "We could get away from this world and just be you and me, right?"

And she had listened intently to every word he had said, understanding how much he wanted to get away from everything that had plagued him. How he wanted nothing more than to barricade himself in the love and happiness that was preserved each Summer in the Granger house, waiting for him. And she could see the begging in his eyes, the depressing notion that she could truly make it all better for him somehow. Because she was his best friend, his confidant in everything, and no matter the problem, she was there to help him through. So her reply was easy; so much so that she hadn't even had to think of it before it spilled out her mouth. "It'll always be me and you, Draco. There's nobody else but me and you; not in this world or the one waiting for us when the Summer ends." Reaching out, she took his hand tightly in hers, squeezing it reassuringly.

"Promise?" he asked. There was so much in that one word; so many things she was promising to. That she would never leave him, that she'd never give up on him like so many had. That she would always love him, as the best friend whose trust and confidence in him never wavered. A vow that she was going to help him out of the pits that were still trying to swallow him whole; that reached out, tearing him down from the heights of good where he stood tall, yanking him to the depths of darkness. His hands reaching out deftly, looking for her hand to keep him with her where the light was, and she would always be there to keep him from falling.

"Promise," she assured.

Staring at him now, after so much time had passed, that promise was still firmly in place. People had tested them, wondering how far their friendship really lie. Whoever thought giving those pictures to Rita Skeeter and telling their story would break them was wrong, because they still held tightly to one another and their bond would not waver in the slightest. The memory of what had transpired over a year ago seemed to pass with a pause in the present, as he seemed to have just settled when her mind refocused on him beside her. His hand lay between them, open and waiting for hers. A silent question in his eyes, the one that always laid there when he came visiting on mornings like this. "_Promise_?" those silver pools asked. And with a simple embrace of his hand with hers, he received his answer.

She couldn't give him the muggle life, but she could give him her never ending friendship. Part of him really didn't want that life anyway, it wanted the simplicity of it; the lack of cruel darkness reigning over everything. He didn't know about the dark side of muggles, believing them to be nice, sweet, kind hearted people that would never harm anything. She chose not to tell him there were people in the muggle world who could be just as vindictive as Voldemort himself. As she didn't want to shatter the way he saw the muggle world; his salvation from the unfeeling life he had to lead each day. His only solitude being found in her and the hope she possessed for him; of course, she knew that it wasn't right for her to be the only thing keeping him afloat in such a nasty life, he deserved so much more. But when he looked at her, that desperate longing for normality and blissful friendship, she would never cast him away. Because as much as she was his salvation, he was hers; she just hadn't known it until recently.

Over the years, she had Harry and Ron, Luna and Ginny, and so many other acquaintances that thought they knew her. But in reality, there had only been two people who had really known her all along; Draco and Harry. While Harry had never known about Draco, he had known her so deeply outside of him, that there was no way for him not to understand her thoroughly. And over a period of nearly three years, Draco had learned Hermione inside and out; it didn't matter what the subject, if it concerned her, he knew the answer. Though Draco likely knew her better than Harry, as he had been able to spend time with her over the Summer's, getting to know her light hearted self, as well as her home life with her parents, Harry had known another side. Her adventurous, death defying, courageous side, and while Draco knew of this part of her, he really hadn't been there to witness it.

In truth, the two boys were almost equal in her eyes; sharing a part of her reserved solely for those that mattered above all else. Her parents had a part too of course, but that was not like the one Draco and Harry possessed. And while Draco now sat a little higher, a little more prominent because of how she had grown to feel toward him, Harry was still very much a part of her, and likely always would be. Six and a half years could not be erased, nor did she want it to be; Harry had been and always would be her very cherished best friend, even if he chose not to think the same of her. Though she loved him to the depths of her heart, feeling that he was truly a deep reason as to why she turned out to be the person she was, she would never break her promise to Draco to ask for Harry back. For if he really was the boy she had known all along, had cared for over the years, then he would understand her decision in being friends with Draco.

As the sounds of water turning off made its way to her ears, Hermione realized that time hadn't stopped this time while she had pondered the inner workings of her relationships to the people in her life. It was time for Draco to leave her, to shower for the day ahead, and then it would be Hermione's turn, and together they would join Blaise in their walk to the Great Hall. There they would be assaulted by the eyes of the students around them, be them lustful, angry, or downright vengeful, they would keep on without fault in their step. Nothing would stop them from continuing on in their lives, nothing could be said or done to end their strong friendships.

"My turn," Draco said, staring at her. The sun fell on his face, brightening his soft blonde hair. A slow, lazy smirk curved his lips. "Wanna join me?" he asked, cocking his brow.

Snorting, Hermione pulled her pillow from beneath her head and hit him with it.

Laughing, Draco rolled out of bed, smiling. "All right, all right. Merlin Hermione, wait for the honeymoon," he chastised. "Twenty two days, love, and I'm all yours," he told her in a kidding tone.

Rolling her eyes at him, she acted unfazed by the comment until he disappeared through her door, then she allowed the barrage of emotions that she had kept so well hidden to escape. She was both excited and terrified of what might happen the night of their wedding. It was expected that eventually they were going to have to sleep together; not only because as husband and wife, it was part of the bond they shared in the Wizarding world, but because the future was quite uncertain for them. Were Lucius to find out, he might end the marriage quickly, pull Draco from school, and keep him away from Hermione until he was forced into the Dark Lord's army and Pansy's arms. Or, something could happen during the War that was fast approaching, and Draco certainly didn't want to die without experiencing something he considered quite vital before death. And then there was the harsh reality that Hermione was quite madly in love with Draco and completely sure that were the marriage to end and she was forced to move on, she wanted at least her first time to with him. And apparently he was rather adamant on her being his first too, though he sometimes told her that it really wasn't a requirement and he'd understand if she decided not to.

A short while later, after Hermione had showered and gathered her things for class, the three friends left for the Great Hall for breakfast. Blaise was currently telling Draco all about the terribly funny prank he had pulled on his mother's new husband; which number he was, nobody was sure. Over the years, Blaise had acquired a taste for tormenting all those his mother decided to marry, before their unusual demise of course. He really did tell some very interesting tails of hilarious torture as Hermione had been privy to as of late. Her personal favorite was when he had put a permanent sticking charm on husband number six's favorite chair and the man had been stuck to it for a few weeks. She didn't want to know the dirty details, like how he managed to go to the bathroom, but she was quite amused at hearing that he had walked around with the seat of his chair stuck to his but for three long weeks. Of course, Blaise couldn't do just that, he managed to make the seat change colours, explode with sparks whenever he neared a woman, and often shout obscenities in the man's voice. She had laughed non stop when he had told her about it, clutching her stomach and wiping tears of amusement from her eyes. Still, thinking of it made her chuckle at the hilarity of the situation, though she couldn't imagine that the man it happened to had seen the amusing side of it at all.

Just as they were about to step through the doors to the Great Hall, Hermione felt a hand on hers and turned quickly to see Harry. She felt a sense of happiness swell up in her, hoping he had come to finally talk to her. But her happiness had soon dissipated as Harry lifted her hand, his thumb brushing over the ring she had carelessly forgotten to remove from her hand. His eyes widened and his jaw fell open for a second before his eyes flicked back and forth from Draco to her. She was terrified that it was the end right then, that he was going to drop her hand and leave her forever. Her heart broke on spot and she could already feel the tears filling her eyes, a sob rose up in her throat and she became scared that it was going to break loose and cause a scene.

People were approaching and Hermione knew she should wrench her hand away, hiding the evidence of what was happening, if she didn't then it could blow everything. Draco's eyes were stuck to the ring, his arm over her shoulders seemed to tighten but he wasn't moving. Blaise stood off to the side, he seemed to be moving to cover the ring from the sight of the people getting closer. Harry snapped out of his thoughts then, glancing past Blaise to see none other than Ron and Ginny walking over. That was when she became sure that it was all over, that he was going to let her hand fall from his and back away to stand with his true best friend and girlfriend.

He surprised her though, like he always seemed to. She gave a confused gasp when he tugged on her hand, wrapping his arm around her waist and hugging her tightly. The hand that had been holding hers, touching her ring, had tugged it off, pocketing it so nobody would see. Then, lifting his now free hand, he buried it in her hair, holding her head against his shoulder as she finally broke down. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice soft and sad. She became rigid then, worrying that this was his way of saying goodbye. "I'm sorry I doubted you even for a moment," he told her.

Hermione's shoulders shook painfully, her arms wrapped around him, needing his understanding, begging for his friendship all along. And there it was, back in front of her, telling her it was all okay now. Forgiving her for her mistake, not in being Draco's friend but at not telling him that she was. And he held her, rocking her back and forth until her sobs quieted, rubbing her back and muttering calming words into her ear. Though it felt like she had been standing there with him for hours, only a few minutes had passed; perhaps ten. When she pulled back, she was sniffling and silent tears were still slipping down her cheeks, but he swiftly brushed those away to stare into her eyes.

Ron and Ginny stood off to the side, shocked, but not commenting. She could see Blaise and Draco, leaning against the wall with smiles on their faces, happy for her. But she returned her eyes to Harry's, because that's where they needed to be right then. She needed to know that it was real, that he was truly forgiving her, telling her that he understood and wasn't leaving her behind completely. His eyes said it all, as they always have, but she wanted to hear it from him all the same. Her heart was still aching from the words he had shouted at her all those nights ago, screaming of how much she hurt him. Which she could fully admit to; she wouldn't lie, she knew that she had caused a horrible turmoil in him. She deserved to be shunned for it until he managed to get himself together. She only hoped that when he did figure himself out, he would find that he still needed her, and so far it looked like he had.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, shaking her head. "I- I should've told you. I should've told you years ago," she said, exhaling sharply. The warm tears were still spilling from her eyes, but she couldn't find an off switch to her sorrow. Her arms lifted, wrapping around his forearms as they stood upright, his hands cupping her face. "I was so scared, Harry," she told him, her eyes staring into his searchingly. "I didn't want to lose you, I never wanted to hurt you." A shudder of sadness escaped her chest, shaking her. "You've always been my best friend, and I never betrayed you. I never did anything that could potentially hurt you except keep the truth from you about how I felt about him." Sighing, she swallowed the ball of worry in her throat. "I was completely and wholly your friend though. It wasn't some kind of deception to get anything from you. I was just Mione," she told him, her voice breaking. "I was just your Mione," she whispered.

"I know," he told her, pulling her close again. "You were always just my Mione," he said, closing his eyes. His arm wrapped up around her back, holding her so tightly she thought he'd never let go. "I was stupid; I shouldn't have believed anything that was said about you. Skeeter may have been right about a few things, but she was completely wrong about so many others. Whether or not you're friends with Draco, doesn't mean that your friendship with me is any different." Shaking his head, he rubbed her back. "You were always there when I needed you and when you needed me most I completely abandoned you," he said, his voice shaking. "I'm so sorry for that, Mione. I can't apologize enough," he choked out. "I'll never be so stupid again," he vowed, his tears pressing into her neck. "I promise you, I'll never doubt you again."

Hermione let out a grateful sigh, her arms wrapping around his shoulders tightly, her eyes turned down to his black robes, the fabric soaking them up. Finally, a short moment later, they broke apart. Harry gave a small laugh, wiping his face quickly. Turning to Draco, he simply nodded, a small smile on his face. His eyes glanced over at Ginny and Ron, somewhat hesitant but then turning confidant. Stepping to the side, he wrapped an arm around Hermione's waist. "I've made my decision," he told them firmly.

There was an array of emotions that crossed the two Weasley children's faces, none of which Hermione could decipher. Before she could pay too much attention to it, Blaise clapped his hands together loudly. "I'm starved, how 'bout the rest of you?" he asked, grinning.

Chuckling and shaking his head, Draco followed his best friend over to the Great Hall doors. As he was passing, he felt something pressed into his hand and looked down to see Harry had put the ring in his hand. Slipping it into his pocket, he nodded at the raven haired boy, winked at Hermione, and walked through the door Blaise was holding open slightly.

Harry turned to her, a small smile on his mouth. "I'm sure we have a lot to talk about, but I'm hungry, so let's do that first," he suggested.

Grinning, Hermione nodded. Walking through for breakfast was quite eventful as everyone turned in shock to see Harry and Hermione reunited. Many looked aghast that he had forgiven her, while others looked rather happy by the event. Hermione noticed that Luna was sighing with relief; it was odd that she was there before Hermione, usually she'd stroll in much later. Harry played off the attention like it wasn't unusual for him and her to be walking together once more. They sat down in the center of the table and Hermione was happy to see that nobody had spread out to stop her, but moved willingly. Breakfast went by quickly, though nobody spoke to he but Harry. Ginny and Ron had come in, but they sat farther down the table, not speaking to anyone. Lavender and Parvati had sat across from Harry and Hermione, trying to get the juicy facts out of them of what had transpired.

"So is the Golden Trio back together?" Lavender asked, tipping her head.

"Or are you a Golden Duo now?" Parvati wondered, glancing down the table at the missing red headed member of their formerly tight group.

"Oh yeah, we're holding auditions for a third member," Harry replied, sarcastically.

"Really?" Lavender asked excitedly. "I have a great singing voice."

Hermione stared at the girl as if she had three heads, then turned to Harry who had the exact same expression on his face. "Right," she said to the girl, slowly.

"And does this mean that you're no longer friends with Malfoy?" Parvati asked, staring at Hermione directly.

"Of course she's still friends with him," Harry replied, staring at the girl pointedly. "Some of us don't take friendship so lightly," he said, glancing down to Ron. "It's supposed to be something strong, without judgement." Turning back to Hermione, he smiled. "And whoever Hermione decides to be friends with is entirely her business," he said, looking around the table to see if anyone was challenging his proclamation.

Hermione stared at him, admiration in her eyes. Though it had taken awhile for him to come along, in the end he had, and that was all that mattered. Glancing across the tables, she caught sight of Draco talking with Blaise, ignoring the girl beside him who kept touching his arm. He'd shake her off, pretending she was nothing but a pesky insect that kept landing on him. It was rather amusing to watch, though Hermione couldn't quell the jealousy that had built up over the girls who incessantly threw themselves at him. He turned then, grinning at her across the way. Lifting his mug, he saluted the change of things, happy with how it had worked out for her. Lifting her mug back, she returned her attention to Harry who was currently telling her about the extra attention he had to put into his studies while trying to get away from Ron and his temper all the time. He had been trying so hard to ignore her and pretend it didn't hurt every time he so much as looked at her, that he forced himself to do his homework, even writing more than what was assigned often.

Listening intently as Harry told her all about the terrible time he had without her, Hermione couldn't help but smile lightly as he spoke. It was good to hear his voice, could to see him smile at her again. It felt invigorating just to have him near her once more, for she had missed him so dreadfully. There was so much to say but somehow she knew she had all the time in the world to tell him everything. His smile brightened her to the point where she was sure she'd never stop grinning herself. Things had seemed so bleak when she had woken up, understanding that she cold never have Draco the way she wanted to. But now, now she had Harry again; her best friend, her green eyed savior, the Sherlock to her Watson.

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**A/N** _I've decided, while I love all of your insight, that I'm going to go with the relationships I had originally planned on for the story. Which is obviously Draco/Hermione, and possibly Harry/Luna. Blaise, I've decided, will not have a counterpart. As I believe, that after six years of loving Hermione, he isn't yet ready to fall for someone else. He won't become a problem for Hermione, but he needs time to move on. Later on in the story, perhaps I will give him someone to love. Sorry to those of you who had your heart set on Blaise/Luna. They will have a lovely friendship though, so you can look quite forward to that. I hope you've all enjoyed this chapter, especially Harry's return to Hermione. I realize that a week has passed, but I didn't think it was important to write every little detail. I wanted to dive into Hermione's feelings head first and really get them out there._

_I love my last statement, where I state that Harry is the Sherlock to Hermione's Watson. I believe it rings quite true. While Hermione is obviously unbelievably intelligent, Harry possesses more of the personality traits of Sherlock Holmes. As I'm sure you all know, they are a very close duo that worked on many crimes, working to solve them with smart thinking and sharp, astute insight. Plus, Watson was known as quite the 'ladies man.' Many a woman had fallen for him, and many readers wondered about how many times Watson married. This isn't to say Hermione's promiscuous, but just a small note of the men in her life. Ron was in love with her, Draco loves her, Blaise is in love with her, and then Harry has a special relationship with her, that isn't to romantic love but something else entirely. Just an observation! Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed that small insight into things. I'm sure if you research Sherlock and Watson on Wikipedia Encylopedia on the net, you'll notice a lot of similiarities. Or you can just take the small line at face value, lol._

_The journal, photos, Rita Skeeter, Chapel, etc, will be coming up in the next chapter. Sorry for writing this terribly long Author's Note._

_Thanks for reading, please review; it's greatly appreciated!_

_Much Love,  
-**Amanda**_


	14. Actions Bear Consequences

Review offering insight to the story:

"_First off I'd like to thank you for updating. Many authors start a really good story and never update or finish it, but not you. You've stayed consistant in your updates and I admire you for your dedication to the story. You have a well developed writing style, which is refreshing because there are a lot of crappy writers on this site (no offense). What I really liked about this chapter in particular was the flashback of the conversation Draco and Hermione had during the summer. I also liked how you depicted the friendship of Harry and Hermione because it made it so much more meaningful when they became friends again. The Sherlock and Watson thing was clever. I hope you continue this story because so far, it's been a fantastic read_." - **_running wild_** of FanFiction net.

**Thank you to the following reviewers of** _Chapter Twelve_ **- _Return of Sherlock_:** _Phoenix flame01, NoteBookLove, anonymous, bethygirl94, Amatheriel, mskiti, sasmith, Allie, Aria DeLoncray, Allie, Felicia, mskarijade, hanvu, Dizzy Loser, ayruh, clueless33396, Sam's Firefly, harry2011luva, Caligirl-HPLVR, Laen, Melissa, Odi et amo., sweetlyevil, Jessica, tom's a hottie, spotzplaya888, eolcin8688, purplecrazy2291, xo evolremmus xo,** PiperPaigePhoebe01, Mindy, ProwlingKitKat, BeInMyEyes, Hyuga Kyuuketsuki, Lady Rachel Lupin, HelloLonely, kie-san, Weaselbee, Kisune Kida, Slywolf9, running wild, Sahariah, Dizi 85, cle be, Zarroc, Maybaby525, BodomsGirl** _and _especially **Feltonluver4eva, dan-lovr,**_and_ **galloping-goose.**_

**Growing**

Chapter Thirteen

Actions Bear Consequences

Draco sat propped up against the headboard of his bed, a large book held up in his hands. Pacing the room with his arms crossed, Blaise continued to make a bored sighing noise, much to Draco's chagrin. "Five more minutes," he grunted, glancing up from the words on the yellowing pages. "Then our plan will come together."

"Finally," Blaise exclaimed, stopping to lean against one of the bed's four posters. "Remind me again why we had to do this specific potion when it takes a week to brew?"

"Because," Draco said, letting the book fall. "Not only does it drop their guard, since it's been awhile, but because I love the effects of this one," he reminded with a wide smirk.

"You're truly evil some days," Blaise said, grinning. "Remind me never to piss you off."

Draco shrugged, moving to lift the book up before a fluttering of wings caught his eyes. Jasper, his beautiful and loyal owl came through his window, landing on his outstretched leg and lifting his own to show his work. Leaning forward, Draco untied the white ribbon holding the rolled up parchment to him. Climbing up his leg, Jasper's bright blue eyes stared at him, hooting appreciatively when Draco scratched his head for him in thanks. The beautiful animal had been with him since he was fifteen, having been a gift from Hermione. He immediately set the owl his father had given him free, telling it to either find a different owner or live its own life. Jasper was actually quite important to him, not only because he came from Hermione, but because he was rather enigmatic for an owl. Always paying extra attention to Draco, knowing when he was upset or angry. He often sat perched on Draco's legs while he was reading or clung to his shoulder when he went for a walk in the field.

"More chapel plans?" Blaise wondered.

Slowly, Draco's mouth lifted into a smile, unrolling the parchment, he nodded to his friend. "Everything seems to be coming along perfectly," he informed him. "They managed to set up everything I've asked them to."

"Why haven't you told Hermione about your correspondence with the chapel?" he wondered, reaching out to Jasper and smiling as he hopped onto Blaise's outstretched wrist.

"Because it's a surprise," Draco told him, his eyes traveling the letter once more. "One that I really want to be kept secret."

"Yes, yes," Blaise said, waving his free hand. "I'm not going to spill it to her."

"Do you think she'll like it?" Draco asked, slightly worried. "I mean, I know she wants a traditional wedding, aside from that whole being in love with her fiancé thing."

"I'm sure she'll love it," Blaise told him, nodding. "How could she not?"

Grumbling nonsense, Draco stood up to walk over to the potion, checking whether it was ready or not.

"Is Potter coming?" Blaise wondered, glancing at him.

"No idea," he replied, shrugging. "He only found out about the engagement today. Since he and Hermione are back to being friends, I haven't seen her. I don't know how much she's told him."

There was a moment of silence as Draco stirred the potion and Blaise gave Jasper a treat before the bird left through the window. Draco wasn't worried about Hermione and Potter hanging out together, he was actually quite happy that the guy decided to give her another chance. There were moments when he had wondered whether he would, given the extreme nature of the 'lie'. Hermione had always been close to Harry, she never really kept anything from him except their friendship. As far as Draco knew, she had never lied to him either, and he chose to believe that she never had or would. There were bonds between certain friends; bonds that weren't easily broken.

Over the years, Draco had grown to know Hermione in ways nobody else knew. Harry had been her best friend for six years, but their friendship often revolved around Voldemort, death, and fighting for the good of the Wizarding world. But Draco had been the boy that grew to know her outside of that world; he had been there when she was a normal teenage girl. Had gone grocery shopping with her, enjoyed a night of movies and popcorn, and swam with her in the lake down the road. He was the best friend who knew every angle of her, that had the chance to learn about Hermione; not Hermione Granger, know-it-all, brain of the Golden Trio. Just Hermione; the girl behind the books, the daughter of Jane and Henry Granger, the muggle teenager. That wasn't to say he didn't know her intelligent side either; after all, he'd attended school with her for six and a half long years. But the point was, that he knew her in ways nobody else would.

Not only did he know her though, but he had actually grown to love her. In the earlier years, when he was just fourteen and visiting her over the summer, there was nothing there but innocent friendship. He had loved her then too, just not the same way. He had loved her like his savior, sent to keep him from becoming evil. The only person who listened to his life and tried to understand; to give him something better. The girl who had saved him from a summer full of hate and beatings, to bring him over and enjoy the easy going, stressless life of being a normal teenage boy in the muggle world. He could never thank her enough for that, and in that week he spent with her, he loved her more than his real parents. He loved her parents too, wishing they were his own.

When he turned fifteen and he had spent most of the year steadily worrying about her safety in the Trio, it was nothing more than a truly concerned friend waiting for her each day to return to him and say she was alright. Friendship love is strong on its own though, and he had found himself spending many nights restless. Being part of the Golden Trio put her in a lot of danger; though as a muggle, she was already a target. Being the secret best friend of a girl who was often being put in dangerous situations, caused a lot of days filled with worry. Though there were many times when he wanted to shake her, to tell her that she needed to find the logical sense that had slipped from her mind, he never did. Instead, he told her he was proud of her for all that she did and only wished he could follow in her brave footsteps. Because as scared for her as he was, he would've given anything to be able to be right there with her; fighting for the right side.

When sixteen rolled around, he could admit that she was becoming more and more attractive; though he had never not noticed that she was female, unlike her other best friends. And because she was really the only other female his age that played a part in his life, besides the ever revolting Pansy Parkinson, he often looked at her as his escape. When things came up with Pansy, for instance her desire to take their relationship to a physical one, his immediate thought was that he didn't want his first time to be with her. He had never really considered his thoughts of asking Hermione to be his first all that odd. As she had been his emotional stability through the years, it seemed only right to share the things Parkinson wanted with Hermione instead.

He hadn't really paid much attention to it in the past, but he often held her more like a boyfriend than a best friend. He wrapped his arm around her constantly, he kissed her forehead every night, and he held her hand out of habit. He had been doing so for years though, the innocence was still there as he hadn't known, until recently, that he had more feelings for her than perhaps he should. When he was with her though, all thoughts about proper best friend behavior slipped away. He was left standing by a girl who he'd been close to since he was fourteen, a girl he had shared everything with. And once again, it only seemed right for him to hold her close to him, to show her physically that he cared. Looking back on it, it may have been some need for physical closeness, as he had never had it with anyone, not even family. Or it could've been that he had been harboring feelings for her all along; perhaps they had started even earlier than he knew.

By the time he was seventeen, things had changed completely. He was well aware of the attention he was receiving from the female population, and was comfortable enough admitting that he was a handsome guy. Lately, women of all beauty ranges, ages, and personality levels had thrown themselves at his feet. He couldn't really figure out why they suddenly wanted a piece of him, especially so publicly, but he wasn't interested in any of them. As Hermione had been the girl by his side through everything; from when he was the arrogant prat, to the naive wizard in the muggle world, or the scared boy - worried his father was going to beat or even kill him. She had been there when his worst fears had been revealed, when he broke down enough to admit that he wasn't as strong as he looked, and when he cried, in need of a friend who understood him. In his eyes, the girls that approached him now, that promised him a night of bliss, they were nothing. They were just like Pansy; someone who simply wanted him for his looks, his status. They cared not for how he felt, what his life was like, or even whether he was in love with someone already. Though they didn't know he was marrying Hermione, and even she didn't know the state of his feelings for her. The point was, that they didn't know him, and they wouldn't get the chance to really.

Draco was happy with his life for the moment, though a dark cloud loomed over it as of late. His father wasn't letting up on his hatred for his behavior, guys from all Houses were steady in their dislike for him, and he could feel that something very dangerous was coming. His and Blaise's work on finding who the Journal thief was hadn't been panning out, nor were their constant letters to Skeeter in hopes that she would reveal her source. It was rather hard to scare a woman into telling them the truth if they were stuck in a school, far from being able to harm her in any way. What really worried him though, was that Parkinson hadn't done a thing. She hadn't so much as made a peep since he broke up with her. There were no hate letters, no dramatic sobs of wanting to get back together. In fact, he had hardly seen her in the past week. Which was dangerous, very dangerous.

"Do you trust him?" Blaise wondered, snapping Draco from his thoughts.

Glancing over at him with a furrowed brow, Draco went back to ladling the potion out into separate containers. "Trust who?" he asked.

"Potter," he told him, walking over to look at the violet, bubbling potion. "I mean, for all you know, Princess is telling him all about your little arrangement right now. Think about it, Draco. Harry is her best friend, a boy who loathes you, and the boy-who-lived. You are her secret best friend, hidden fiancé, closet admirer, and the son of a Death Eater. Even if he forgives her, will he forgive and forget what you've done? To him, to her, to everyone he knows!" Shaking his head, Blaise shrugged. "To let her marry you is putting her in more danger. Now I know that he was mad at her, I mean he left her life for over a week because of what she did. But, is he willing to let her marry you? To let her put herself in even more danger with Lucius and the like." Sighing, Blaise crossed his arms. "And imagine what he'll do when he finds out you're in love with her," he said with a guffaw. "The two of them are close, D. I mean, _close_. I'm not entirely sure he's going to be all right with giving up his golden girl to the Slytherin Prince."

"They're not romantically linked," Draco grumbled, shaking his head. "They just happen to have a very close friendship. Understandably so, she's been right there with him through the worst of times..." His eyes widened before he looked back at Blaise, letting out a worried chuckle. "Just because that's one of the ways I fell in love with her, doesn't mean it's the same for him, you know! He's got it bad for Luna, I know he does."

"Lu-Lu will be happy to hear that," Blaise said, leaning into the counter and picking up a vile. "I find it interesting that that's the only thing you focus on out of my entire spiel."

Sighing, Draco glanced at him with disdain. "Do you ever call any of your friends by their real names?"

"Only the one's I dislike," Blaise said, smirking. "Which is why you hear me call you D rarely," he told him. "You're far too infuriating to be D all the time. So, _Draco_, you still haven't commented on everything else I've said."

Rolling his eyes, Draco finished filling the last bottle with their concoction, putting a cork in the top. "Look, if she wants to tell Potter about what's going on, that's fine. It's probably best that way, at least then she's not lying to him again. As for everything else, I really don't think he's going to get in the way of it. Yes, he loves Hermione, not in the way I do, but he still cares for her a lot. I think he'll understand why she's doing what she's doing though. As her best friend, he's going to see the sense behind it."

"Maybe," Blaise said, grabbing a few of the vile's from the counter. "Come on then, vengeance awaits."

"Careful with those, you don't want them spilling on you," Draco told him, smirking. "I'm sure you'll hate the effects."

Shuddering, Blaise looked down at the glowing purple bottles, holding them carefully in his grasp. "How are we going to get this into their drinks?" he wondered, shaking his head. "It'll be rather obvious if either of us go up to any of them."

"I have that handled," Draco told him, walking out of his bedroom. He was about to cross the Common Room when he stopped short, his brows lifting with shock and worry.

"Hey," Blaise exclaimed with annoyance. "Watch it! I could've spilled it on me. I was hoping to have children one day, Draco," he shouted. Coming out from behind him, he realized what Draco was staring at. "Oh Merlin," he said, paling.

Lying on the center of the floor was the mangled, bloody body of his sweet owl Jasper. Finally coming out of his stupor, Draco ran over to pick up his little body, careful not to hurt him. Hearing a loud, angry noise, he looked up to see Blaise throwing a large paper weight at the black owl of Lucius Malfoy, perched on the window sill, looking maniacally happy for an owl. Leaning down, Draco tried to hear if little Jasper was breathing. Hearing a strangled hoot gave him slight hope. Hurrying out the door, he broke out into a run, hurrying to Madame Pomfrey, hoping she knew something about saving animals.

Bursting through the double doors of the Hospital Wing, he let out a strangled cry for help, running to Madame Pomfrey as she came out in a huff. He hadn't realized his eyes were filled with tears until she was standing in front of him, looking like a blur. "Please," he said, holding the bleeding owl out. "Can you save him?" he hoped. "I know you're more of a people person, but he's been with me for years," he said, his voice choked.

Taking the mangled bird out of his hands, Madame Pomfrey walked to a bed and laid him down. Checking him over and using a few healing charms, she turned back with a grim expression. "I'm truly sorry Mr. Malfoy, but there's no way he can survive this," she explained, shaking her head. "His lungs have been punctured and there's no spell I can use to repair that. The humane thing to do would be to give him a potion that would put him to sleep. I'm sure you know what I mean by saying he should be put to sleep."

Draco nodded, his mouth shaking. "Hermione's mum's cat Sarafina was put to sleep this summer," Draco told her, his voice low. "She was hit by a car and in a lot of pain." His eyes fell to Jasper, a lone tear slipping from his eye. "Is he in pain?" he wondered, reaching out to stroke his small wing.

"I'm afraid so," Madame Pomfrey told him honestly. "Whatever did this to him was very vicious in their attack," she admitted. "Even if he had managed to live, he'd never be able to fly again."

"He's just a few years old though," Draco said, sadly. "He was so much smaller than the other owl's," he explained, nodding. His curled finger ran around Jasper's beak. "Hermione and I were visiting Diagon Alley with her parents, we were just picking up a few things. We stopped in to look at the owl's when we heard the shop keeper talking about how he was going to have to get rid of the runt, because he'd never get himself bought." Letting out a soft chuckle, Draco stared down into the beautiful blue eyes staring up at him in pain. "And there he was, just hooting excitedly at us. So small compared to all the other owl's. He looked lost in a flurry of feathers, as all the other birds jumped forward, puffing out their chests and hooting loudly." Shaking his head, he smiled when Jasper nipped lightly at his finger.

Closing his eyes, he tried to gather himself for a moment. "Hermione hates to see anything mistreated just because they're different and I took an instant liking to the little guy. So she bought him, on the spot, saying that she didn't care if the other owl's were_ better_, she wanted him. And she handed him to me, saying she didn't need an owl and he liked me better anyway," he told her, more talking to Jasper, as if to share their story. "And he sat on my shoulder the entire trip, biting my ear when he wanted attention."

Tears slipped from his eyes, he closed them and let out a shuddering sigh. Curling his fist in the blanket of the cot, he clenched his jaw, before slowly letting his body relax. "Okay," he whispered. "Give him the potion, let him rest," he said, nodding.

Wiping a tear from her eye, Madame Pomfrey scurried off. She returned with a dusty bottle, likely only used on creatures Hagrid saved, only to be put down. Sparing a glance at the broken boy across from her, she spooned out the liquid and poured it into the open beak of the owl. Letting out a sad sigh, she reached out to pat Draco's shoulder before leaving him alone.

Jasper let out a small hoot, turning his head to stare at Draco.

"It's okay," he told him, nodding. "You did good, little guy." Draco reached out, scratching his head where he liked. "You were the greatest owl I could ask for." Swallowing, he bit his lip. "No more pain, Jasper. You're free."

Another hoot followed, but it died out almost instantly, telling of the end of his life.

Turning his head down, Draco buried it in the soft feathers of the wing splayed out on the cot. A surge of anger overlapped his painful remorse. This was his father's doing; Lucius had ran the Granger's out of their house and killed his friendly owl. For what? Because he was angry with him for not being the proper heir. His heart filled with a strong, pulsing hate; he wanted his father to feel his pain. He wanted Lucius to know what it felt like to lose something that means so very much. But there was nothing in the entire world that meant anything to him. Nothing but power, greed, and his stupid Dark Lord.

Standing up, he gathered his fallen owl in his arms and left the Hospital Wing. Passing the students in the hall, he hardly spared them a glance. Making his way outside, he crossed the green field, heading toward the Black Lake. Stopping, beside the large boulder, he laid the small, lifeless animal on the grass. Using his hands, he dug up the ground, pushing away the dirt and grass until he felt the hole was far enough down. Then, lifting the small, limp body, he placed it in the hole. After looking down at it, his tears falling on the soft feathers of his body, he pushed the dirt and grass into the hole, burying it away in the place they used to sit. So many afternoons had been spent out there, a book in his hand while he leaned against the large rock. Jasper would sit on his leg, hooting every once in awhile, drawing his attention so he would scratch his head or pet his wings. There he would rest, forever in their place; immortalized was his friend.

Rain began to pour down from the greying clouds, matching his depressed mood. If anything, he was feeling like he wanted even more vengeance. His faithful pet was gone, his father had caused it, and there was nothing he could do. But he would get back at the boys who had thought they were capable of not only harming him bodily, but actually killing him for his actions. They had said things, not just about him, but about Hermione too, and tonight they would pay for that. He wasn't as cruel as them, he wouldn't kill them. He'd just make sure they felt a lot of physical and psychological pain.

Lifting from the ground, Draco stared down at the brown mound in front of him, sniffling up the last of his pain. Turning, he crossed the field, the rain quickly drenching his clothes. The vials clunked against his leg, reminding him of his mission. Blaise was hurrying across the field, coming his way. Draco could see his mouth moving, see the worry in his face, but he could hear nothing. Staring forward, he walked into the tall castle school. Making his way through hallways, he found himself standing in front of the portrait leading to the kitchens. Tickling the pear, he waited for the entrance to appear. Nobody but him and Blaise were there, he had made sure not to alert anyone of where they were going. The door opened, allowing them to see many busy house elves running around.

"Dobby," Draco called out, his voice rather strangled.

"Is that intelligent?" Blaise wondered, cocking his brow. "Doesn't he hate you?"

Shaking his head, Draco glanced over at him. "Hermione and I came to see him a couple years ago and I apologized for how I treated him. We get along fine now," he explained.

"Draco Malfoy, sir," Dobby said, standing in front of him and looking up at him with wide eyes. "Where is Sir's Miss?"

"Hermione is with Harry," Draco told him, kneeling down.

"But Sir, you never come see Dobby without Miss," Dobby reminded, shaking his head with wide eyes. "Did Sir want Dobby to do something for Miss? Dobby knows Sir and Miss are engaged!" he exclaimed.

Draco paled, his eyes becoming wide. "How'd you know that Dobby?" he asked, worried.

"Miss accidentally tells Dobby," he explained, nodding. "Miss was wearing ring when she came to Dobby for late night snack! Dobby congratulate Miss! Dobby congratulate Sir, too!" he said, smiling broadly. "Dobby thinks Miss and Sir are very good together. Dobby has thought so for a very long time."

Clearing his throat, Draco shrugged. "Er, thanks, Dobby. Look, I need you to do me a favor, but it's got nothing to do with Hermione." Frowning, he glanced at Blaise. "In fact, it would be best if you didn't tell Hermione... ever."

Dobby stared at him, confused. "What does Sir need?"

Digging in his pockets, Draco pulled out the violet vials, showing them to him. "I need you to put these in the drinks of the Slytherin boys, not all of them. Only a select few. See here on the bottles," he said, holding them up and pointing to a white label. "Only the boys with these names get this stuff."

"Why does Sir need Dobby to do this?" he asked, rather unsure.

"In all honesty," Draco said, taking Blaise's vials too. "These guys did something very bad to me," he admitted.

"They tried to take Draco from Hermione," Blaise piped in.

Gasping, Dobby's eyes went wide. "Is that true? Did these boys try and take Sir from Miss?"

Sighing, Draco glared up at Blaise. "Yes, Dobby, they did."

Nodding, Dobby snapped his fingers, causing the vials to disappear from his hands. "Dobby will do Sir's favor!" he told him, nodding.

Grinning, Draco held out his hand to him for the house elf to shake. "Thanks Dobby, you've been a great help!"

Shaking his hand, Dobby smiled up at him happily. "Anything for Sir! Dobby knows how much Sir loves Miss and Miss loves Sir! Boys who do that to Sir must be punished!" he said, making a fist and slamming it down on his open hand. "Dobby is flattered you came to him!"

"Yes, well thank you again. We have to be going, but really, I appreciate this," Draco said, following Blaise to the door.

"Dinner's in an hour," Blaise informed him, glancing worriedly at his sad appearance. "Do you want to talk about Jasper?" he wondered, sounding rather unlike his usually sarcastic self.

Shaking his head, Draco crossed his arms. "I think I'm going to just sleep until dinner," he told him. "I don't want to... to think about it right now."

"Okay," Blaise said, nodding. "I'm going to go see what Lu-Lu's doing, leave you alone for awhile, all right?"

"Yeah," Draco agreed, glancing at him. "Thanks, B."

Smiling at him briefly, Blaise left in the opposite direction. Making his way back up to the Head Tower, Draco muttered the password to the portrait door before dragging his feet as he walked toward his bedroom. He was half way there when he heard someone clear their throat. Turning around, he saw Pansy sitting on his couch. "What are you doing here?" he asked, feeling uneasy.

"I saw you running around with that owl," she said, standing up. "Thought you might need some support or something."

"Not from you," he said, coldly. "How'd you even get in here?" he asked, his face hardening.

Shrugging, not explaining herself, she walked over to him. Smiling, she reached out to trail a hand over his chest. "You're hurting right now, I know. Now that the mudblood is back to being friends with Potter, I bet you're lonely," she said, with a wistful sigh. "How about we put all of our little fight behind us, Dracie. Let's get back together, talk about our wedding, and maybe even enjoy a taste of what our honeymoon will be like," she said, trying to sound seductive.

Taking her wrist from his chest rather roughly, he pushed her away from. "Exactly what part didn't you get?" he asked, his voice low. "There is no us, there is no wedding, and there sure as hell will never be a honeymoon," he told her, his eyes dark with barely restrained rage. "I've had a horrible day," he said, shaking his head. "Your being here is making it worse." Holding out his hand, he pointed to the door. "I want you gone. Stay away from me and everyone around me. Don't come back, Parkinson. Ever!" His voice was thick and angry, showing that he was not someone she wanted to be fighting with just then.

"Fine," she said in a huff. "All I did was show you a little concern for your ratty owl," she reminded, sticking her nose up in the air. "But if you're going to be like this, then I'll just come back when you're in a better mood."

"There will never be a mood that will cause me to tolerate you," he assured, sneering. "I meant what I said; I don't want you coming around anymore. This isn't just some break up; this is the end. The engagement is off, I'm not marrying you. This pitiful relationship you've been holding onto is over, there is no more _us_. So whatever delusions you're still having, get over them."

Making a growling noise, Pansy shook her head at him before stomping to the door. "You'll regret that at dinner," she told him.

Before he could question her, she had left the Head Tower, slamming the door behind her. The loud crashing noise echoed through the room. Sighing, Draco walked to his bedroom, stripping off his shirt and pants. He really didn't want to get out of bed anymore, he just wanted to crawl in and fall asleep until the wedding. No more school, no more problems, just sleep it all away. Then, he'd wake up on Christmas, marry Hermione, and enjoy the small piece of perfection that Merlin granted him by convincing her to commit to him.

Crawling beneath the green blanket, he lay on his back, staring at the window where Jasper often perched. He didn't like sleeping in the owlery with the many other owls, but often stayed up with Draco. He assumed it was because she didn't get along with most other owls, having more personality but being rather small. Thinking back on it now though, it was likely because he didn't like being away from him. He was always rather inclined to spend her time with him, following him wherever, sitting with him even during uneventful moments. Just spending his days flying around him, watching over him, and keeping a steady friendship of pet and owner going.

His eyes burned, he missed his loyal pet already. This was just a small warning from his father, like that of the photo taken of the Granger's house. He would stop at nothing to scare or set off his son. Sending letters that he was going to harm the people in his life, worrying him into a frenzy over anything or anyone that meant something to him. For all he knew, Blaise could be the one in a mangled mess on the floor next. Or even Luna, as she had become a rather interesting friend of his in recent days. Lucius wouldn't go for Hermione just yet, he'd build up the anticipation. He would strike though; when and where was unknown. Draco couldn't help but fear for all those he held close.

He wondered how his mother was doing, her letters still read the same as usual, never giving away anything. She didn't ask about Hermione, wondering why he was friends with her. Instead, she simply wrote her usual things. Acting as if she cared, saying that she missed him, all empty words. She was just the woman who gave birth to him, she didn't care for him. If she did, she would support him, she would hug him when he was home. Instead, she simply stood by as he was beaten and molded into the person his father wanted. Watching as Lucius tried to break his spirit, day in and day out. Never uttering a word to stop him, instead pretending it wasn't happening.

The bed dipped but Draco didn't turn, he knew who it was without having to see. Her arms wrapped around him while her head rested against his shoulder. The soft tendrils of her hair tickled his bare chest and arm, but he took no notice of it. Moving his arm, he wrapped it around her waist, hugging her close. "He's gone," Draco breathed, closing his eyes.

"I know," she said, quietly, her hand lifting to brush her thumb over his cheek. "I know," she whispered.

Turning on to his side, Draco cradled her close to him, trying his best not to cry but at the same time wanting to express it to her. It wasn't just Jasper that caused this pain, it was the knowledge that one day it wasn't going to just be the loyal pet he'd lost. It could be Blaise or Luna, but the one that would hurt him most, would break him completely, was the girl lying in his arms. Burying his face in her hair, he clutched at her, needing her to take it all away. She held him just as tightly, which reassured him in some way, one of her hands was buried in his hair while the other was wrapped around his back, pressing him close.

She smelled sweet, like a combination of vanilla and candy. He was used to this, having known her for nearly three years, but inhaling it now was like breathing in a drug of relaxation. He could feel his chest aching, his shoulders shaking, and his hands tightening on her. He didn't want to let her go, but he wanted to see her face too. Slowly, he pulled back, keeping her body against his and his arms around her, but letting his head lean back so he could see her.

Hermione's eyes were rimmed with red, tears littering her cheeks. The hand she kept in his hair moved down to wipe the tears from his cheeks. "Blaise told me," she explained. "He was looking for Luna and ran into me and Harry. Since I was coming here, he and Harry went searching for her." Running the back of her hand down his cheek, she stared into his eyes. "Was it bad?" she wondered.

Nodding slowly, he kept his eyes on hers. "Madame Pomfrey said he was in a lot of pain; one of his lungs had been punctured," he told her, his voice low and cracked. "That even if he had lived, he'd never be able to fly."

Hermione's face crumpled, becoming upset as she thought about the small owl that held so much animation in his form over the years. Her hand still brushed his cheek, calming him, almost lulling him into sleep. "Lucius' owl did it?" she asked, her eyes falling.

"Yeah," he said, his voice low as a whisper. "The consequences of my actions."

Shaking her head, Hermione's eyes darted up to his. "This isn't your fault, Draco," she told him, her features hardening. "This is Lucius' fault. Yes, he did it because he's angry with you, for being my friend really, but that doesn't mean it's your fault. You loved Jasper," she reminded, pulling him closer. "You would never do anything to hurt him." Her hand cupped his cheek, directing his face down to her. "Don't blame yourself for this, it won't help anything."

"It might not be an innocent animal next time," he told her, his eyes staring into hers searchingly. "It could be a person next." His jaw clenched, his eyes closing briefly. "What happens when he gets tired of sending warnings?" he asked, staring down at her with scared silver eyes. "What happens when he realizes that I'm not giving you up?" he wondered, telling her exactly what he meant.

"We'll face that day when it comes," she told him, shaking her head slightly. "There is nothing you can do to save me from this. There was nothing you could do for Jasper. But I can assure you that neither of us would change anything that's happened. Yes, Jasper's death was very unfortunate. He was a wonderful owl, a beautiful and intelligent bird. But he was also very loyal and loving toward you, and he would sacrifice his life if it meant that you were able to live that life you wanted." Shaking her head slowly, she stared up at him, seemingly not realizing just how close their faces were. "You're my best friend Draco, I'll take whatever Lucius has to throw at us. All I ask is that you have faith and stand by me. Because I'm not going anywhere, I'm going to be right here beside you through it all."

His throat was tight with emotion, he had to clear it before he could speak. His mind was running through horrible scenarios. To care for someone so much and never tell them was bad enough. But to know that they were basically the biggest target of a Dark Lord and his minions was completely terrifying. At any moment, she could be taken from him. Jasper had only been out of his room a short while and he had been maimed almost immediately. Hermione could be in Hogsmeade one day, minding her own business and someone could kill her, after being sent my Lucius. She could be eating her dinner, only to find it poisoned by someone like Parkinson, because Lucius wanted it done. There were so many things that could happen to her at any given moment, and it scared him that there was really nothing he could do to save her. "What if-"

Her finger pressed against his mouth, stopping his worries from escaping. "No what if's," she told him, seriously. "We knew that if this ever came out, people wouldn't take it well. We've known all along that our friendship would not be well received. But we lived it every day. We enjoyed every moment we had. And even if these are our last one's, I want them to be just as, if not more, special than the rest." Smiling, she ran her thumb over his skin, making him shiver. "Twenty two days and we'll be married. Even if we die in twenty three, you and I will have experienced so much of this life, that I have no reason to regret anything." Her eyes connected with his, saying so much more than words. "Do you understand, Draco? Do you know how much you mean to be?"

"Of course," he replied, running his hand through her hair.

He could feel her breath against his lips, her body pressed against his, every curve molded to him. He could see the freckles on her cheeks, over the bridge of her nose. The gold in her eyes seemed to be glittering even brighter at him now, the chocolate brown looking heavenly. Their mouths were so close, he'd only have to tip his chin an inch or two and he'd be kissing her. So much of him wanted to, so much told him to just go for it. It wasn't as if he'd never kiss her, eventually they'd have to; given the, "You may kiss the bride," part at the wedding.

Leaning forward, his hand in her hair pulling her closer, his mouth was just about to touch hers when the fluttering of wings caught their attention. Turning they saw an owl flying above them, a few pages hanging from its leg. Reaching out, Draco untied them from the bird and picked them up as they dropped to his leg. Frowning, he looked over at her with a sigh.

"Not again," she said, sitting up to let her eyes roam over the pages. "Oh no," she said, shaking her head. "No, no, no..." she said, biting her lip in worry.

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**A/N**_ Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm working on one for **BITTT**__ I hope to have it up tomorrow! Really sorry for the wait. All readers of this story should check out, **"Summer Haven,"** as it is a collection of Hermione and Draco's summer's connected to this story! A sort of preque! I'd love to know what you all think! _

Thank you all for reading, please review.  
Much Love,  
**-Amanda**

, 


	15. Vengence Hits A Peak

**Review offering insight to the story:**

"_This was an excellent chapter. The part with Jasper was emotional, and it made me really upset, in a good way. Only the best writers can instill enough emotion into writing to make the readers physically feel it. I'm mad that the owl interrupted their 'moment,' but if I am correct in assuming that was some letters from Hermione's diary, I can't wait for the next chapter. And I can't wait to see what the potion does. By the way, if Pansy can let herself into the Head common room, does that mean she can get into the Gryffindor common room? I didn't like the comment she made before she left Draco._" - _**Weaselbee**_ of FanFiction net.

_Thanks so much to the following reviewers of Chapter Thirteen_-**_ Actions Bear Consquences_**: _cheeky splash, bethygirl94, Anigen, Jessica, tom's a hottie, harry2011luva, Aria DeLoncray, Sam's Firefly, Kitsune Kida, M03, Phoenix Flame01, smileenov, mskarijade, mike tike tofu, ayruh, cle be, Caligirl-HPLVR, TillyRose, Odi et amo., PiperPaigePhoebe01, RedRoseGrave, ThePranksterQueens, sasmith, _**_mskiti, Maybaby525, HelloLonely, Weaselbee, ProwlingKitKat, Hyuga Kyuuketsuki, BeInMyEyes, sweetlyevil, Slywolf9, Jennifer-Marie, kie-san_ **and _especially_** dan-lovr (_Chloe_)**, and **_galloping-goose_.**

_**Growing**_

_Chapter Fourteen_

_Vengence Hits a Peak_

"What am I going to do?" Hermione wondered, angrily. "Draco, I can't just keep letting this get out." The papers were held tightly in her grasp, causing her knuckles to turn white. Tears were readily building in her eyes but she looked determined not to cry over it. She wanted a solution, not to become a baby over her problem.

"Look, at least we have a head start. Now we know that the owl's are coming, we can head them off," he said, sitting up and thinning his eyes with thought.

"What? Like go to the owlery and stop them?" Hermione queried, shaking her head. "I guess that's worth a try."

"No," Draco said, waving his hand. "Whoever's doing this would've either sent the owls off already to stop us from stopping them, or they have the letters hidden somehow."

"How are you so sure whoever stole it is possibly intelligent enough to pull this off?" Hermione questioned, crossing her arms. "It might just be Parkinson and she didn't think that far ahead."

"Somehow they've managed to stop us from figuring out who they are," he reminded, reaching out to play with a tendril of her hair while he sat in deep thought. "We stop the owls when they come through," he suggested. "Cast some kind of spell to take all the parchment from their feet before people get to it."

"Like a summoning charm?" she asked, looking down at him from her hunched position. "What if it doesn't work?"

"Then we do what we did last time and gather them all up," he told her, shrugging. "Your last one wasn't too bad," he assured. "If anything, it made both of us look a whole lot more... human, rather than evil drones out to kill every one in their sleep."

"Whose been calling us that?" Hermione wondered, looking aghast.

Waving his free hand, he shrugged. "Random people who don't matter," he said, sighing. "Look, we'll stop this one from happening and we'll figure out who it is who's doing this, alright?" Sitting up, he ran a hand down her back in a calming motion. "Com'on, we'll head down to the Great Hall early."

"Are you sure?" she asked, shaking her head. "I know you're still upset-"

"I'm sure," he interrupted, nodding. "Let's not talk about Jasper, alright? I don't want to think about it right now. Dinner's going to be eventful, let's just focus on that for now," he told her.

"Okay," she said, slipping off the bad.

Reaching out, Draco grabbed her hand, pulling her back to him. "Thank you," he said, looking up into her eyes. "It helped; you being here, I mean. It doesn't hurt as much."

Hermione's hand lifted, brushing over his cheek. "You know I'll always here for you. 'First to arrive, last to yell, most likely to cry, but never, ever...'"

"To leave," he finished.

Smiling, she nodded, happy that he remembered one of their many conversations over the summer's they shared together. "Com'on now," she said, tugging on his hand. "Our public awaits," she reminded, dramatically.

Snorting, Draco rolled over and off the bed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Only for me," he told her smirking. "The girls flock and fawn while the guys cower and grimace. I really have quite the reputation, perhaps even bigger than before." He directed them out of the room, looking down at her with amused eyes.

"Oh yes, you're practically royalty now," she said, sarcastically.

"Hence the title Slytherin _Prince_," he said, looking down at her with a spark of mischief in his silver eyes.

"Well," she said, sighing. "As Blaise's Princess, I hereby demote you to lowly Town Idiot," she told him, grinning. "It's sad really, you used to be so-"

"Humble?" he asked, his brows quirking.

"I don't know about humble," she admitted with a chuckle. "Except in the muggle world, then you're quite humble," she said as an after thought.

"Which was hard since I was apparently a hunk to so many," he reminded with a smirk.

Cocking her brow, she shook her head as they began walking down the hall. "That was a simple slip of the tongue really. By hunk, I really meant that you were a dork. See how they're both four letter words that end with a 'K'. As you can imagine, I was just too pitying of you to admit my mistake in your stature."

Frowning down at her, he shook his head. "I choose to believe I was a hunk, not a dork. Do you remember how many girls hit on me?" he asked, smiling almost wistfully, more to bother her than anything else.

Rolling her eyes, she lifted a hand to slap his chest. "Oh honestly," she chastised, shaking her head.

"I lost count after the first twenty girls," he told her, nodding. "They were all quite appealing on the outside, but I only met a few who managed to have an equal amount of brains to suit their looks."

"Mm," Hermione agreed, nodding. "Claire's nice though," she reminded. "She still hasn't gotten over you, sadly enough."

"We were only ever friends," he reminded, his hand picking up one of her curls again, enjoying the way it slipped through his fingers.

"I know," she said, sighing. "But she practically fell in love with you the minute you met," she reminded, a warm smile on her lips. "That was an interesting day for grocery shopping."

"Yeah," he agreed. "I still haven't figured out the answers to most of my questions."

"Well you ask too many questions," she told him, shaking her head.

"But really Hermione, not even the man at the bagel shop could tell me why they have holes in them," he told her.

"Yes, well you were shouting it at him while cursing him, Draco. What did you expect him to do? Sit down and have a nice chat about it? I mean, at the time you were really using the question to insult him and his business, rather than find out the truth behind bagel holes," she reminded, with a shake of her head.

"He started it," Draco grumbled, holding the Great Hall door open for them.

They decided to sit down at the Gryffindor table to wait for dinner to start. Draco had never sat at her table before and found it rather odd. Looking around, he noticed that she didn't have to crane her neck like he would have to, to see the Professors at their table, or Dumbledore when he makes an announcement. She was in the very center of the Hall really, the middle of everything. It made him feel quite small and he decided he preferred his seat at the Slytherin table.

"Did you talk to Potter about the wedding?" he asked, noticing that his voice echoed from the Hall being empty save for them.

Nodding, Hermione bit her lip, looking over at him nervously. "I know I should've talked to you first but there was really no way I could've not told him. He saw the ring, he knew it was from you, I had to tell him."

"It's all right," Draco assured, nodding. "So is he coming?" he wondered, looking over at her.

Hermione's eyes widened and her mouth fell open slightly. "Well, I wasn't sure," she said, shaking her head. "I mean, I didn't think you'd want him there." Sighing, she ran a hand over her hair. "He wants to," she admitted, her eyes lifting to his. "It was odd," she said, her voice sounding rather far away. "He almost sounded... happy for me." Letting out a soft chuckle, she shrugged her shoulders. "I mean, I explained the circumstances to him and he kind of grinned, like he knew a secret. He wasn't mad at all, instead congratulating me and hugging me." Licking her lips, her brow furrowed. "At first I thought maybe it hadn't sunk it, maybe he was just too happy that we were talking again that he wasn't angry with me for marrying you. But it never wore off, he had that silly grin on his face during our entire conversation." Sighing, she shook her head. "In any case, he asked me if he could come and I told him I'd have to ask you, obviously."

Shrugging, Draco looked away, his face not giving off any emotion. "I don't mind him being there, as long as he knows that the whole thing is going to be done with complete secrecy."

"He knows," she assured. "It's just that, I know you and him don't really get along. I don't want you to feel like I'm overdoing this wedding by inviting all my friends. Especially the one's you don't like very much."

"Hermione," he said, turning to her with a smile. "It's your wedding too, and in reality I think Harry should be there. After all, he is your best friend," he reminded. "Might as well have all your best friends there, even if one of them's the groom," he said with a chuckle. "The only two missing now are the Weasel kids."

Biting her lip, she shook her head slowly. "No, I don't think they'll want to be a part of it. I mean, after Harry and I made up, I saw Ron a few times. The halls, class, and even in the Gryffindor Common Room. He wasn't mad with me, well he didn't shout at me or anything. But he didn't look like he really wanted anything to do with me. And Ginny... I don't know what she thinks of me. She came by that one night, but I haven't seen much of her since. Harry told me he hardly ever sees her either, she always seems to be locked away in her room."

"Hmm," Draco said, frowning. "Well, maybe Weasel will come around. As for Weaselette, I don't know what her problem is. On the bright side, if she keeps ignoring Potter, maybe Luna will finally have her chance with him," he said, rather cheerily.

"Hopefully," Hermione said, nodding. "They really care about each other but it's as if Harry's in denial."

The doors opened then, revealing their three friends oddly enough. Blaise waved at them, his usual grin on his face, though his eyes were stuck to Draco with obvious worry. Luna looked just as upset, hurrying over to sit down on his other side, patting his shoulder.

"I had an owl once," she told him, her voice rather detached. "Flew into a muggle fan that my father was tinkering with." Sighing, she blew her blonde hair of her face. "I missed it dreadfully, but my dad said that owl's have their own heaven. Complete with crackers!"

Blaise stared at her for a moment before letting out a chuckle. "Right," he said, nodding. "I've heard about separate 'heavens' for certain animals, except it was directed at unicorns."

Shaking her head, she frowned. "No, unicorn's don't go to heaven," she said, vehemently. "They often venture off to a far away land where they'll live forever. As majestic as they are, there really isn't a point in heaven for them, is there? I mean, they're Merlin's gift of beauty, really."

Blaise stared at her curiously for a moment, seeming to ponder what she had said before giving a nod as if to agree. Turning to Draco, he opened his mouth, a questioning expression on his face.

"I'm fine," Draco interrupted, nodding shortly. Turning his attention to Harry he smiled slightly. "So I hear you're the new add on to the wedding party," he said, easily.

Harry's brows raised before he glanced at Hermione who gave him a small nod. Grinning, he turned back to Draco, who suddenly noticed the glint of happy secrecy that seemed to be jumping in Potter's eyes. Oddly enough it didn't worry Draco but more of calmed him.

"I am," he agreed, glancing at Luna.

Smiling, the blonde clapped her hands together happily. "Wonderful," she exclaimed. "Now we just have to convince Ronald to come and it'll be a regular reunion," she said, not in the least bit worried at adding the Weasley boy. "Oh and Ginny," she said, but her voice didn't hold the excitement it once had.

"Let's not and say we did," Blaise said, shrugging.

Snorting, Draco gave him a look but kept quiet.

"I wouldn't mind having Ron there," Hermione admitted, rather sadly.

"Don't worry Mione," Harry told her, his arm wrapping around her back and rubbing her shoulder. "He'll come around."

"And if he doesn't Princess," Blaise said, leaning forward. "We can always send a nice violet potion his way." Smiling cheekily, he glanced at Draco.

Kicking out, Draco's foot connected with Blaise's shin as he made a warning face.

Shouting in pain, Blaise glared at him, before nodding with understanding.

Hermione's eyes narrowed before she glanced back and forth from Blaise to Draco. "What did you do?" she asked, lifting her hands to settle on her sides.

"What?" Draco asked, innocently. "I didn't do anything."

"Does this have to do with why you've been locked up in your room over secret business for the last week?" she wondered, cocking her brow in suspicion.

"Of course not," he assured, shaking his head with a smirk. "Right, Blaise?"

"Right," he agreed nodding. "There's nothing to worry about Princess."

"Actually," she said, sadly. "There is." Sighing, she glanced at Draco. "I'm afraid someone might be sending another part of my journal out for all to read at dinner tonight."

"Who do you think's doing it?" Harry wondered, his face becoming dark. "You said it was a Gryffindor right?"

"Well, it was in the Gryffindor Common Room, so I'm assuming yes," Hermione replied, lifting a curled hand to place under her chin as her elbow sat on the table.

"It's a girl," Luna told them, her eyes glazed and dreamy.

"What makes you think that?" Blaise asked, frowning.

"Well, first of all, most boy's wouldn't take the time to humiliate a girl using her journal," Luna told them, shrugging. "Plus, the first entry they sent out was rather personal, more about Hermione and Draco than something like a big fight that would be rather interesting." Shaking her head, she turned to them. "Which takes out Ronald, because he'd likely want to send it out if it were about him or the Trio's heroic escapades." Sighing, she tipped her head. "In fact, it likely crosses out all the males. Not only because Hermione probably didn't write about any of them but Harry and Ron, but because they really wouldn't care much about what her journal said."

"Unless they liked her," Harry said, nodding.

The four people across from him turned to look at him, rather confused.

"I know for a fact a few of the Gryffindor boy's had crushes on Mione, especially after fourth year," he explained, nodding. "Most everyone thinks she's dating Draco, so obviously any crush is going to be miffed."

"Yes," Luna agreed, nodding. "But this really has more of a girl's revenge written on it." Frowning, she stared directly at Hermione. "What is this next entry about, do you know?"

Swallowing, Hermione nodded slowly. "Yes, it's about a few things really," she told them quietly. "See, it's complicated. This entry was written shortly into Sixth year," she said, looking at each of them. "It has a few things to do with Harry," she said, glancing at him. "And you, Luna," she went on, her face becoming rather pale. "And," clearing her throat, she glanced up at Draco. "Well, quite a lot about Draco and something I...er... saw that summer when he was staying with me."

Draco paled, his eyes looking down at her. "Hermione," he said, his voice low. "Tell me you didn't write about that in your journal."

"Well, I never thought anybody else would read it," she said, biting her lip. "It's normal Draco, honestly nobody is going to think anything of it."

Closing his eyes, Draco covered his face which was now an interesting shade of red. "I can't believe..."

"Nobody will read it anyway, right?" she asked, shaking her head. "We were going to run interference."

"What's it have to do with Draco?" Blaise asked, his eyes flashing with interest.

"Er, nothing," Hermione said, her cheeks pinking at the thought.

"You can't say nothing, obviously it's something," Blaise said, shaking his head. "Com'on, we're all friends here. It's not like we're going to spread it around." Shrugging, he frowned. "What's it matter anyway? If we can't stop it, everyone'll know by the end of dinner. Might as well tell us now."

"Think about it Beezy," Luna said, staring at him with an amused expression. "What is a normal occurrence that happens to all teenage boys?"

Blaise tipped his head in thought, frowning. "I don't know," he said, shrugging. "Pimples, sex, growth spurts, interesting dreams," he listed. "I know I got more handsome; can't say the same for most other guys," he finished with a smirk.

Harry's eyes widened. "Oh," he said. "OH!" he repeated, looking rather disgusted, his gaze wandering from Draco down to look at Hermione with surprise. "You saw _that_?"

"I didn't mean to," Hermione said, shaking her head.

Suddenly the doors to the Great Hall opened and the tables began to fill up with people. Quickly, Draco got over his embarrassment enough to tell them his idea for running interference on the owl's dropping of the journal pages. Seeing as he had more reason to stop the entire school from reading out his personal issues, along with Hermione's, he was adamant on stopping it from happening this time. "Whatever happens," he said, staring at them seriously. "We're stopping that journal entry from anybody reading it."

"Right," the four people sitting with him agreed. Standing up, him and Blaise nodded at them before making their way over to the Slytherin table. Luna followed their actions, saying goodbye to Hermione and Harry as she left to the Ravenclaw table.

Draco filled his plate with food, keeping his eyes sharply stuck to the windows. The smallest movement caught his attention, he wasn't sure when the owl's would come through, but he wanted to be ready. His attention wavered, however, when Blaise nudged him, nodding his head to the boys down the table, drinking their pumpkin juice. He smirked, focusing his eyes on them without looking too obvious.

Not fifteen minutes into dinner, one of the boy's who had cornered Draco was on his feet. His hands fell down to the crotch of his pants before he let out a high pitched, terrified scream. A moment later, three others joined him, and before long all nine boys were standing up from the table. Screaming, they all clutched themselves, wailing in girlish sounding voices. They writhed on the ground, their hands stuck between their legs and their mouths wide with sobbing.

"It's gone," one boy screamed, his eyes wide and his voice incredibly high as he looked down his pants. He looked around frantically, staring at the other boy's and then the Headmaster. "It's gone!" he screamed.

"What's gone?" Snape snapped, annoyed.

Pointing down, he made a motion with his hand. "IT! It's gone!" he shouted, terrified. A few seconds later, he promptly passed out from sheer worry over what had happened.

Blaise was laughing uproariously beside Draco, banging his hand on the table with glee. "It worked perfectly," he said, just loud enough for Draco to hear. "Dear Merlin is it ever going to hurt growing those back!" he said, a wince sounding in his voice.

Snorting, Draco stared down at the scared boy's on the floor, smirking in victory. "If they grow back," Draco said, his eyes thinning. "I may have added a little too much pomegranate," he told him, a vicious glint in his eyes.

Making a pitying noise, Blaise gave them one last look before returning to his dinner. "Merlin, Draco, have I told you how lucky I am to be your best mate and not your enemy?"

Draco cocked his brow, turning back to his meal. "You truly are, B," he said, grinning. "Otherwise, you too might be missing something vital."

Shuddering, Blaise grimaced before picking up his fork to resume his dinner. In the background, Snape was ushering the boys out of the Great Hall and directing them to the Hospital Wing in a voice that obviously scared the wits right out of them. Not that they weren't already terrified, given the fact that their manhood had disappeared after a very painful process. As cruel as it might sound, Draco was delighted to hear them scream and cry out for help; they brought it upon themselves.

"Dinner's never boring," Blaise said, nodding his head up to the windows where the owl's began flying through.

Jumping from his chair, Draco looked over to Harry, Hermione, and Luna who had stood up also, their wands at the ready. Blaise stood by his side, a determined expression on his face. "Ready?" he wondered, glancing at Draco.

"Have to be," he replied, lifting his wand. With a sharp swirling motion, he shouted out, "**_Immobulus_**!" hearing four voices join his. Quickly, all the owl's froze completely, just sort of hovering in the air, blinking and letting out random hooting noises.

"Right," Draco said, satisfied. "Now this shouldn't be too complicated. **_Accio Parchment_**!" he shouted, all four of his ally's yelling the same.

Unfortunately, since there were only five of them and a whole lot of parchment hanging around, they were swamped in piles of it. When he found them all surrounded with white rolled up papers, he looked around to see that a few students had darted their arms out, grabbing hold of that which they were trying to keep hidden. When he saw a boy from Slytherin move to grab one from his pile, Draco stared at him with a hard expression. "Don't even think about it," he warned, his voice low.

Scared, the boy retracted his hand. Sadly, Draco could see others had grabbed a hold of the parchment's though. He motioned to Harry, who was closest to Patil and Brown, who had managed to snake their hands into the pile. Catching on to what he was telling him, Harry darted his arm out, grabbing it from the menacing girls hands. Shaking his head, he threw it back into the pile.

Swiveling his hand around, Draco managed to make the writing on the pile in front of him disappear, then he sent it all away, causing a pop to sound. Blaise followed his actions, and shortly after three more pops could heard as the others got rid of the piles around them. Together, they took the spell of the owl's, letting them free. Sitting down to dinner, their expressions hardened to stop anyone from questioning them. Draco could only hope that nobody had managed to get a hold of the journal entry; as if one had it, then the whole school would know before dinner was finished.

Draco turned his face back down to his dinner, noticing that he was actually quite hungry. Blaise seemed more relaxed beside him, knowing that revenge had been exacted for his friends that day. He always was rather inclined to do rather harmful things to others, but only in good nature or for the sake of a friend. Halfway through eating, Draco glanced up from his meal to see Hermione was holding a mysterious black envelope in her hand.

For a minute it didn't register in his mind, but then as the seal popped open and he noticed the green snake that had been cracked, he was up and out of his seat. Climbing across the table, he ignored the indignant protests of his schoolmates. Shouting for her to stop, he reached his hand out deftly as he ran to her. Harry seemed to notice something was wrong and turned to see what the problem was, only to stare in shock.

Hermione's hand had stilled on whatever was inside the envelope and her eyes rolled back inside of her head. Suddenly, she began shaking violently, her mouth opening to let out an earth shattering scream of agony. A white sphere of light exited her mouth, hovering up above her face. Her body stopped shaking and her eyes came back into sight as she fell back limply.

Draco had climbed across the Gryffindor table, kicking plates, bowls, cups, and cutlery out of the way. He jumped down beside her, catching her just before she slammed into the floor. The white ball of light was still hovering just above her mouth while her skin began darkening to a bluish-grey colour. Lifting her into his arms, Draco stared down at her, shaking his head. He began mumbling incoherent non-sense.

Harry had kneeled down across from him as he cradled her in his arms. "What's wrong? What happened?"

Draco shook his head, his eyes closing tightly as his hands clutched at her, pulling her closer.

Blaise appeared beside them, his face white and tears settling in his eyes. "She's dead," he told him, quietly.

Harry fell backward, his hands lifting to run into his hair, clutching at it in shock. Luna was kneeling down between Harry and Blaise, shaking her head as tears fell from her dreamless eyes. Her hand found Harry's, pulling it down from his hair to hold it tightly.

"She c-can't be," Harry sputtered, leaning forward. "She was just- I was just talking to her. She was going to- And then they'd-"

Draco held her tightly against his chest, his face buried in her hair, whispering into her ear; things nobody could hear.

"Mr. Malfoy," came the deep voice of Dumbledore behind him. "I'm afraid you're going to have to release her. Madame Pomfrey will take her to the Hospital Wing." Sighing, he placed a hand on Draco's shoulder. "There's nothing you can do."

Draco lifted his face, his eyes dark, causing everybody to step back in mild fear. "That's not true," he said, shaking his head.

"Draco," Blaise said, his tone thick with warning.

"Shut up," Draco told him, glancing at him with sharp eyes. "You know as well as I do it could save her."

"Could! Draco. The main word being there is _could_," he yelled, staring at him with serious but scared eyes. "And it will likely kill you," he replied, darkly. "If it doesn't turn you inside out first."

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked, his eyes still stuck to Hermione.

"Dark magic," Blaise told him, shaking his head. "Incredibly dark magic."

"It's what put her here in the first place," Draco screamed at him. "I will not let her die because of this," he said, his voice wavering. Clenching his jaw, he shook his head. "You know what you have to do B."

Nodding, Blaise stood up, sighing. "For Princess," he said, simply. Lifting out his arms, he motioned for everyone to step back, shaking his head. "Stay good my friend," he told him, quietly.

Smirking, Draco glanced up at him, through pained eyes. "I don't know if 'good' is the right word," he joked, before his eyes fell down to the beauty in his arms. Glancing behind him, he stared at the Professors all watching in mild shock. "You would do well to stand as far back as possible." Instead of arguing, Dumbledore nodded at him before turning to his staff and holding his arms out to back them away. Draco could hear them guffawing and telling him they had to do something, but Dumbledore simply told them to watch.

Draco ran his hand over Hermione's cheek, feeling the cold texture and lack of life inside of her. Shaking his head, he stared down into her void eyes. "I know I promised I would never use dark magic again," he whispered. "But I swear, this is the last time." Closing his eyes, he moved his lips, though no words escaped him. A moment later, his eyes opened, completely black and void of anything that resembled the boy he once was.

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**A/N**_ Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. There will be more on the journal, the person who ratted them out, and a visit from someone in the next chapter. Thanks for reading, please review as it is very appreciated._

_Much Love,_  
-_**Amanda**_


	16. Dark Love

**Review offering insight to the story**:

"_So I've been kinda lazy and not been reviewing but reading every chapter as soon as you update and Ijust cannot express how much I love this fic. Just everything about it. You have such an amazing style of writing, I wish I could write like that lol. Anyway I really love Harry/Luna as well so Im really happy that your including them in this fic. I love this idea so much. There are some fics where DHr are best friends and they usually arent done very well. I love that you have included a lot from the books and not just made it completely AU. I have my suspicions about who is doing the diary stuff but I'll keep them to myself. I really cant wait to see where you take this. Keep up the amazing work._" - _**HSW** _of FanFiction net.

**Thanks to the following reviewers of** _Chapter Fourteen_ - _**Vengence Hits a Peak**: RedRoseGrave, livelife-loveHGDM, harry2011luva, hanvu, Sam's Firefly, Kitsune Kida, Aria DeLoncray, bethygirl94, JpJr, smileenov, ProwlingKitKat, darklana16, GCluver, Ice Angel10, tom's a hottie, AngelFeet, ThePranksterQueens, Kate, mike tike tofu, BrownxEyedxGirl, mskarijade, sasmith, mskiti, peanutbutterfluff, eolcin8688, cle be, ayruh, sweetlyevil, Caligirl-HPLVR, Secret Thought, **HSW, PiperPaigePhoebe01, Dawna Malfoy, Weaselbee, Abraxnia, Hyuga Kyuuketsuki, kie-san, MayBaby525, BeInMyEyes, HermionexDracoshipper, HelloLonely,**_ and _especially** BodomsGirl, Princess de la Plume, Ode et amo.**_ (I agree with the black eyes comment, lol.), and **_galloping-goose_**.

**_Growing_**

_Chapter Fifteen_

_Dark Love_

As a pureblooded wizard, Blaise was privy to the knowledge concerning Dark Magic many witches and wizards were not. He had grown up with libraries full of an infinity of spells, charms, hexes and the like; all of a magic no longer practiced or taught in schools. Sure, there was what to do to counteract spells, or some basic knowledge of it, but to really know its intensity, a person must read of its past. Blaise had dabbled in the frowned upon magic, never allowing himself to become too absorbed in its teachings. He had read, learned, but never really practiced any of it. Draco, however, being a Malfoy had to learn every single written and unwritten word on the subject. He could recite entire tomes of the restricted knowledge without having to glance at the books. It was engraved in his mind; every word, every charm, every hex, and the like.

Lucius had forced fed it all to him since he was young, as he was the only heir to the Malfoy name. Meaning he had to keep their heritage, their background going. He had to be dark, but hidden as such. He had to live the way Lucius did; pitying no one and hating all that isn't pureblooded. It was likely his constant beatings and teachings that had turned Draco away from becoming just like him. As he could knew anything to do with Dark Magic, he was perhaps more intelligent on the matter than Lucius himself. But he never allowed the evil end of magic to absorb him like it had his father and so many others. He had made a vow to himself that he would never, ever allow himself to become something like Voldemort.

Looking back on it, Blaise could see that this vow had become much more prominent when Draco had become friends with Hermione. As she had likely shown him a great deal of understanding for his life, causing him to turn over his leaf of being a prat to become something more meaningful. She had met the dragon full on and turned his scales from a shield to nothing but a beautiful mask. As much as Blaise hated to admit defeat and let her go, he knew what was best for her and sadly it was Draco. She may not see it, or perhaps neither saw that the other did, but they were very deeply in love. Even Potter could see that, Blaise was sure he was rather rooting for them to come to their senses and see that they felt something much more than friendship. Luna had told him she suspected so years ago, before either of them would even admit to a friendship. Blaise could see it even more prominently now, as he held her limp body in his arms; despite the dark shading of black covering his eyes.

There was a collective gasp being emitted from the entire student body, watching with intense curiosity as Draco went from his rather easy going self, as of late, to a dark sorcerer in a matter of seconds. Dumbledore looked rather shaken behind his cover of being at ease and understanding the happenings of his two most intelligent students. The other professors looked frazzled, worried, and adamantly unsure about what was going on before them. There was nothing they could do now though, if they attempted to stop him, Draco might lash out and harm someone without even meaning to.

Kneeling before them was not Draco really, but instead the shell of the boy he once was. This was someone else entirely; this was the hidden side of all people, the darkness lurking in the background of everyone's hearts and minds. While his intentions were fueled by concern, by friendship, and overall by love, the person holding Hermione was really not interested in any of those things. Draco could bend the darkness to reverse what had happened to her, but as soon as he did, there was no saying that the darkness would exit his body.

Inside the envelope was a charmed letter, Blaise had read extensively on the subject years ago. Lucius had gone out of his way on this one, that is to assume it was the senior Malfoy. Anyone who was skilled in Dark Magic could've produced the same effect, which meant that all the pureblood's in the school were under scrutiny. In any case, whoever sent the letter had put it under the _Nico Violenter_ curse, meaning whoever touched it would be slain violently. Shown in Hermione's shaking and agonized scream, she had been submerged in the pain before it consumed her. The hovering light above her mouth was her life source, usually the person who murders would take the light and place it in a charmed box as a souvenir.

The only known counter curse was being done by Draco as he leaned over her still body, in a dark trance. Unfortunately, everyone in the past that had practiced such spell had gone completely insane, consumed by their evil power. Most only lived a week, at most, because they committed suicide or were killed while attacking others. Sadly, moments before they die, the darkness that overpowered them leaves their body, so they die as the men or women they once were. Were Draco successful in reviving Hermione, he would still have to face the problems consistent in his own health upon ending her curse.

Draco's hand sat against Hermione's heart, a heavy red glow now consuming the limb as his lips moved along with a chant. Suddenly a deep gust of air began swirling around them, making them appear hazy. A loud cracking noise sounded through the Great Hall before the air threw back everyone within a ten feet distance of Draco and Hermione, pushing people away with violent power. Draco's head lifted, his black eyes connecting with Blaise's, his mouth moved and Blaise just had time to repeat it to everyone else. "DUCK!" he screamed, hitting the ground within a simple second.

As everyone inside the Hall slammed their bodies against the floor, an ominous black light escaped the top of the hazy wind around the two teenagers on the floor. The power of it sliced through the air with force so incredibly strong it could be heard with a distinct sucking sound. Anything in its way, which was only five feet above ground had been cut in half, aside from the walls which had suffered a thick black line across all of them, indented into the cement and looking similar to the aftereffects of an explosion or fire. Dumbledore's own podium had been cracked in half, sliding off to clatter against the floor. The tables where the professors sat had also been damaged greatly, but could likely be salvaged by a fixing charm.

Lifting his head from the floor, his hands over his head, Blaise stared at Draco, who had now risen from the floor, Hermione's body hovering beneath his hands. The castle began to quake around them, causing many of the students to shriek with worry. Looking to his side, Blaise saw Harry with his arms wrapped around a shaking Luna, covering her from anything that might be thrown their way. He could hear his heart beating out of his chest with such intensity he was almost certain it was going to explode at any moment.

"Albus," one of the professors shouted, seeing as there was a loud noise coming from the whirlwind around Draco and Hermione, it made it hard to hear. "We have to stop this!"

"Headmaster," another staff member called out. "This can't be safe!"

Getting to his knees, Blaise stared at them pleadingly. "It's working," he yelled to them, shaking his head. "Please, nobody will be hurt. I know Draco, he'll save her!" he told them, adamantly.

Dumbledore stared at him, his expression uncertain.

"Give him a little time and I swear to you, nobody will be harmed," Blaise shouted at them, his tone severe but scared.

It seemed to take forever before Dumbledore simply nodded at him, assuring Blaise that Draco wouldn't be disturbed for the time being.

Turning his attention back to his two friends, Blaise stared at Draco intently, watching his hard expression as his hands moved an inch above Hermione's body, making various sized circles while he continued muttering the incantation in Latin. His words were covered by the thick wind which had expanded around them, lifting people's hair and pushing them away from them farther. Everything on the tables had flown away, tumbling over and shaking off the desks from the quaking or wind. The tables themselves began pushing across the floor, slowly but with enough effort to cause students to hurry out of the way.

Draco himself looked almost pained, as sweat began forming on his skin and his mouth seemed strained as he spoke. His body was rigid and tall, but it was the stance of a man losing energy and forcing himself to continue. Hermione's arms hung limply beside her body, her hair dangled down from her tipped head. The formerly pale peach skin had become greyish blue, making her appear as if she had been dead much longer than she had. Her eyes were open, staring out blankly; empty of the warm life they once held. Her usually charismatic face was now chillingly still and motionless, lacking all of her regular emotion. Her body was beginning to glow now, a thick white light was coming out of her skin to give her the look of an angel. Draco's hand moved up, clasping the white sphere of life hovering above her mouth.

"_Contemno gigno nex, Amor gigno vita_," Draco's thick voice broke through the cloud around them, before he pressed the shimmering sphere into her mouth, causing her body to break out in a light so bright Blaise had to shield his eyes.

The gust of air seemed to be sucking itself back in, as well as any damage it did. The podium righted itself, the tables became whole again and the black marrings on the wall all seemed to be taken away. Unfortunately, all damage that had been done didn't simply disappear, but instead turned into a thick black fog that entered Draco's eyes as he inhaled deeply. His arms turned Hermione upright so she was hovering in a standing position.

Draco blinked furiously, his body beginning to shake uncontrollably. "B," he called out, his voice weak. "Catch her," he said, before he fell away.

The moment Draco hit the ground all of the shimmering light, the strong wind, the hazy cloud seemed to disappear. Hermione fell from the air, but Blaise had heard his friend and jumped forward to catch her before she hit the floor painfully. Draco's body was limp on the ground, his eyes closed and his arms out, making him into a T formation. Complete silence consumed the Great Hall; nobody moved, nobody spoke, hardly anyone breathed.

Dumbledore rose from his crouched position, clearing his throat and lifting his chin as he surveyed the students around him. Moving his hand, he made Draco's body lift from the floor, hovering near him. "Mr. Zabini, please follow me with Miss. Granger to the Hospital Wing." Turning to the students around him, he sighed. "I understand that dinner was been very eventful this evening, but it would be in everyone's best interest if you would all please finish your supper in an orderly fashion."

Before anybody could reply, he exited the Hall, with Blaise carrying Hermione in his arms, hurrying to keep up with the older man. Glancing behind him, he could see Harry helping Luna off the floor, before they too ran after them. Blaise looked down at the girl in his arms, her skin now glowing with life and her eyes closed as she slept peacefully. Swallowing, he felt a sharp pain in his chest at realizing just how severe things had become for his two friends. Had Draco not been so skilled in the Dark Arts, Hermione would be dead at the moment.

"I assume you knew what Mr. Malfoy was attempting to do," Dumbledore called back to him.

"Yes sir," Blaise replied, his voice low.

"And do you know who might've sent this threat to Miss Granger?" he wondered, looking back at him.

"It's not really a threat if they technically succeeded, is it?" Blaise commented, feeling on edge.

"Indeed," Dumbledore replied, simply.

"I'm sure you know just as much as I do," Blaise told him, sourly. "This is likely the doing of Lucius Malfoy," he cursed, darkly.

"You know the effects this will have on young Mr. Malfoy, I'm sure," the Headmaster said, ignoring the insinuation that Draco's father had tried to murder Hermione.

"Of course," Blaise admitted, quietly.

"Then you must understand the precautions we will have to take with him," he explained, sighing. "He cannot come in contact with the other students. We cannot allow him to roam freely, anywhere. He will have to be contained to one area, never to be left unsupervised. If he does in fact manage to survive, he most certainly will spend the rest of his days in St. Mungo's," he told him, a note of sadness in his voice.

"What a guy will do for love," Blaise whispered, staring down at the soft face of the girl in his arms.

"What was that Mr. Zabini?" Dumbledore wondered.

"Nothing, sir," he replied, shaking his head. "And everything," he said, soft enough for only his ears to hear.

----

Hermione blinked slowly, feeling as if her entire body had been put through a blender. Licking her lips, she noticed that her throat was exceptionally dry. Her breathing felt raspy, causing a great discomfort to her mouth and throat as she tried to clear it. Pushing her hands down against the mattress beneath her, she pushed herself up to a sitting position. Sunlight was filtering in through the windows, making her assume that it was very early in the morning. As she surveyed the room around her, she found Harry asleep beside her bed, his head against the back of his chair as he snored quietly. Luna was sleeping, curled up in a ball, on the floor beside him, her head leaning against his leg. Directly across from her there was a thick white curtain surrounding a bed; just outside of it was a chair holding Blaise as he sat forward with his head in his hands.

"B-Blaise," she called out, her voice coming out in a choked whisper.

Lifting his head quickly, he stared at her with red and watery eyes. "You're awake," he said, hurrying out of his chair to run over to her. Turning, he glanced at the sleeping Harry and Luna, before sitting down on the bed beside her. "How do you feel?" he wondered, staring at her worriedly. "Do you need something to drink? Eat? Are you sure you're not still tired?"

Chuckling, she shook her head. Her eyes wandered back over to the curtained off bed. "What happened?" she asked, looking down at herself and then back at Blaise.

Staring at her, his eyes took on a desperate look, before he shook his head. "You died," he told her, his voice cracked.

"I-" Her eyes widened, she inhaled sharply. Shaking her head, she blinked rapidly, trying to absorb his words. "I died?" she repeated, questioningly.

"Yes, but you were resurrected," he assured, nodding.

"That's impossible," Hermione told him, swallowing painfully. "Not even magic can bring people back from the dead."

"Now that's open for discussion," Blaise said, his eyes falling. "Because I know you were dead and it's pretty obvious that you're talking to me now. Breathing, moving, completely alive."

"I don't understand," she admitted, shaking her head. Her eyes began to fill as she was overcome with confusion and became afraid of just what had happened. "The last thing I remember is opening my mail at dinner. We had just finished getting rid of my journal entries that had been sent out by whoever. I sat down for dinner and I received a letter of some sort. I opened it and was pulling out whatever was inside. I remember hearing Draco yell something, but I can't- I can't remember what," she said, shaking her head and furrowing her brow.

"He was yelling, 'No, stop!'," Blaise told her, sighing. "Someone sent you a letter that was charmed to kill you. It's very Dark Magic, Princess." Lifting his hands, he ran them over his face. "You died quickly, but I'm pretty sure you were in a whole lot of pain."

"No, Blaise, that's not possible," she said, biting her lip. "How can I have died and come back? I've read about death, you can't resurrect people with magic. No matter how much you want to, you just can't," she told him, adamantly.

"Do you know about Dark Magic, Princess?" he asked, his face paling. "Have you read every tome there is about the Dark Arts?"

"Well, no, of course not," she admitted, sighing. "It's not a subject I really care to dabble in."

"Yes, well, pureblood's have to," he told her, nodding. "The cursed letter you received had its desired effect and the only reason you're alive is because someone very skilled in Dark Magic managed to save you two nights ago," he explained. "Yes, Hermione, it's been two nights since you- Well, since you died."

Frowning, Hermione shook her head slowly. "Why would someone skilled in Dark Arts save me?" she wondered, confused. "Anybody who knew how to counter the curse, would likely be rather dark themselves, would they not?"

"No," Blaise assured, adamantly. "Yes, he knows all about Dark Magic. Merlin, he knows it better than most wizards and witches, but he's not a Dark wizard. You of all people would know that," he said, rather quietly. "You have to understand that for him to save you, he basically... He gave up himself," he told her, his voice becoming choked. Lifting his hands, he covered his face for a moment, trying to collect himself.

Hermione's heartbeat seemed to slow as all the colour drained from her face. "Blaise," she said, her voice a whisper. "Blaise, where is Draco?" she wondered, her eyes looking around frantically. "Blaise!" she shouted, becoming hysterical. "Where is Draco?" she yelled, grabbing his hands and pulling them from his face.

Tears were falling from his pained eyes as he stared at her, shaking his head before his gaze landed on the curtained area.

Shaking her head, Hermione climbed off the bed, her feet wobbly beneath her.

"Hermione," Blaise called, reaching out for her.

Pushing his hands away, Hermione kept walking toward the area Draco lay in.

"Hermione," Harry's voice called out, sounding tired but alert. He must've woken up when they started yelling. "I think we should talk about a few things before you do that," he tried to tell her, hurrying to get to her. His hand wrapped around her wrist just as her hand touched the side of the curtain. He stared down at her with concerned eyes, his face set in mild fear as he glanced at the curtain. "Please, just come and sit with us. Let us explain certain things."

Hermione stared at him for a moment, seeing the pleading worry in his eyes, which just furthered her need to see her best friend, her fiancé. Shaking her head, she felt tears fill up her eyes. "You know I can't do that," she said, quietly. "I- I have to see him," she told him, softly. "We'll talk after." Before he could protest, she pushed open the curtain and stepped inside.

Laying in front of her, with his arms bound to the top of the bed, Draco lay with a bubble wrapped around his mouth, contracting to push air into his chest, much like a muggle device used for the same thing. His chest rose and fell rhythmically, almost too much so for a normal person. His face was emotionless but more pale than usual, taking on a drained impression. A blanket lay across his legs, reaching to just below his belly button. Across the middle of his chest was a painful looking black bruise, in a completely straight, thick line.

Sitting down beside him, Hermione reached out to touch the hand that was magically bound above his head. Her free hand ran over his forehead, pushing his hair away and ridding his skin of the cold sweat that had gathered. His eyelids fluttered, causing her to think that he was perhaps dreaming in his state. She didn't know if he was in a coma, dying, or simply sleeping. He didn't look well though and she had to wonder exactly what had caused it all; what he had done to save her.

Feeling another presence, Hermione looked up to see Blaise staring down at her, his appearance worn. He looked as if he hadn't slept at all and she briefly wondered if he had even left the Hospital Wing since they had been brought there. It appeared as though her friends had been camped out, waiting for them to wake up. Her gaze wandered back to Draco, hearing the hiss as the bubble pumped more air into him. "Is he..." Shaking her head, she forced her eyes closed to stop herself from getting too emotional. "Is he dying?" she asked.

"We don't know," Blaise admitted, sighing. "Usually after someone has performed what he has, they wake up rather quickly. Then they go on an insane rampage if not stopped," he told her, sadly. "Nobody had lasted more than a week, be it from suicide or getting themselves killed for trying to murder others."

Hermione let out a sob, shaking her head and covering her eyes. "He would never-" she cut herself off with a thick sniffle. Reaching out, she ran her hand down his cheek. "He's not a murderer; he couldn't kill for no reason."

"That's not Draco," Blaise tried to explain. "The boy lying beside you is something much darker. He's... I guess part of him is still Draco, but the rest of him is something else."

"Some_thing_?" she asked, her damp eyes lifting to his.

"Yes," he told her, his face falling. "It's like a dark creature gets inside the person after they've performed this specific counter curse. They have to make up for going against death and in doing so, they give themselves up to a very cruel way of life."

"Is there no other way but for him to kill himself or others?" she asked, her chest heaving.

"Insanity," he said, simply. "To live with a sense of dark insanity in St. Mungo's until he dies."

"No," Hermione said, adamantly. "No, I won't let that happen."

"There's nothing you can do," Blaise told her, sighing with defeat.

Standing up, Hermione shook her head, crossing her arms. "There's always something I can do," she shouted, her voice thick with anger and agony. "I won't let this happen to him. I can't- I can't lose him!"

"I'm sorry," Blaise breathed, his eyes closing.

Hermione fell to her knees, shaking her head vehemently. Reaching out, she placed her hand against Draco's chest, feeling his heart beat steadily. Her other hand brushed his cheek, a soft tendril of his hair tickling her skin. "Draco," she whispered, staring at him searchingly. "You have to wake up," she told him, her voice choking up. "You need to open your eyes and tell me that everyone's wrong. That you're going to be fine and you won't be stuck in St. Mungo's," she cried. "Please, Draco, wake up," she pleaded, leaning her face against his shoulder.

Hermione sobbed against him for moment before feeling his chest rise for much longer than it had been before. Lifting her head, she stared at him, confused. The bubble surrounding his mouth burst and he began inhaling deeply. Looking up to Blaise, she felt herself smiling but it soon fell away as she noticed Blaise's terrified expression. Turning her face back to Draco, she was met with pitch black eyes and a menacing smirk.

"What's a matter, love?" he asked, his voice full of malice. "No hello kiss for your knight in shining armor?" he asked, his chest lurching forward as he suddenly threw his upper body to a sitting position. His arms strained behind him, looking tight as they were painfully pulled back.

Hermione jumped away from him, her eyes wide with fear. She landed painfully on her bottom, her hands fell back to hold her up as she stared at him in shock.

Draco's black eyes seemed to move around, glancing at Blaise with mild interest. "Hey B," he said, his voice low. "Do me a favor, will you?" he asked, cocking his brow. "Sod off!" he shouted. His hand opened abruptly, causing Blaise to fly through the closed curtains, slamming into the ground and skidding over the hard floor.

"D-Draco," Hermione called out, moving to stand up.

Returning his attention to her, after laughing with maniacal glee at his best friend, he moved his other hand. Hermione suddenly lurched forward, her body sprawling across his. Her head sat against his shoulder, her face turned up to his, breathing heavily. His eyes stared down at her, so dark they sent a shiver down her spine. The bindings stretched enough to accommodate his movements as he ran his hand over her cheek, tugging her chin up so their mouths were close.

"I can see why he wanted to save you," he told her, quietly. "I can hear him in my head, telling me not to touch you," he whispered. "He's located somewhere deep down, possibly in the chest area, you know where that organ is," he said, offhandedly. "Yes, you occupy a large part of that organ," he assured, nodding shortly. "Then again, you seem to have quite the effect on most parts of him, don't you?" he said, smirking.

"Let him go," Hermione told him, trying to sound strong but failing.

"And why would I do that?" the imposter said in Draco's voice.

Hermione swallowed, having no real answer. Glancing down, she searched her brain for some sort of answer. "You're just going to die in five days anyway, what's the point?" she told him, lifting her eyes to stare at him defiantly.

"Me? Die? In my five days, you say," he said, grinning at her with mild amusement. "What makes you say that?"

"History," she replied, nodding.

He stared at her before shrugging. "Well, might as well make the best of my last five days then, shouldn't I?" he wondered, licking his lips.

Hermione felt a shudder of displeasure run through her; she hated looking at Draco, but seeing none of him in the cold features of whatever inhabited him. Even his voice held an edge that Draco's never did; his words more calloused and dark. The way he held her, his hands grazing her skin was more disgusting that it was sensual. Draco held her with emotion, he showed some sense of feeling when he did it. But this creature only touched her because of a dark need she would surely never help him with.

"I know he's there inside of you," Hermione told him, her voice low. "So you can be assured that I'm going to free him for your grasp."

His hand wrapped around her chin, pulling her close so her eyes were directly in front of his. "Do you see him anywhere in there?" he asked, callously. "No. You want to know why?" he questioned, not waiting for an answer. "Because your little Draco is stuck in the deepest regions of his heart, hidden away and never to be found." Shaking his head, he kept her eyes connected with his. "You can read every tome, learn every spell. But you, my sweet," he said, running two fingers across the outline of her chest, "will never bring back your pathetic hero. He knew the consequences for saving his little mudblood and now he'll pay them." Slowly, his mouth turned up in a smirk. "The best way to do this is just to accept that he's gone and not coming back. Or hey, let's try and bring him back with something worth it, huh? Give daddy a kiss." His tongue darting out to run over her lips.

Wrenching her head back, she felt his hand fall to wrap around her throat, tightening enough to stop her breathing as he pulled her back.

"I never said it was request, really more an order," he told her, pulling her closer.

Just as her mouth was about to meet his, he stopped pulling. Hermione opened her eyes as she had slammed them shut when she realized what was going to happen and didn't want to remember seeing anything resembling Draco as the person who did it. His eyes were fading from black to a faint grey, but then surged back to black again. She could see that Draco was fighting whatever was in him. His eyes lightened again as his mouth fell open. "Run," he choked out. "Run away and don't come back."

Hermione shook her head, vehemently. "I'm not leaving you! Draco-"

"Ah ah ahh," the cold voice returned, shaking his head. "He's a strong willed guy, isn't he?" he asked, smirking. "You two must be close, he really doesn't like how much fun we're having." Pulling her close again, he licked his lips. "Where were we?"

Blaise appeared at the end of the bed, his arm out with his wand held tightly in his grasp. One of his arms was clasped against his chest, as if hurt. He was breathing heavily, with a pained expression, but he shook his head. His face changed to look more defiant and completely pissed off. "Let her go," he ground out, angrily. "Whatever you are, you're not Draco, so I really have no bloody problem hexing the shit out of you," he said, coldly.

Draco's face turned, the black eyes staring out at Blaise for a moment. "This is rich," he said, slowly. "You love her," he told him, nodding. "But she loves him. And he, well I'm sure you know." Shaking his head, he glanced back at Hermione. "She doesn't though. Hmm, it's a regular triangle, isn't it?"

Just then, Harry, Luna, and surprisingly a red headed boy appeared beside Blaise with their wands drawn and their faces set in grim determination.

Draco laughed, loud and thick with amusement. "The cavalry has arrived, I see," he said, cocking his brow. "Let's see," he said, looking at each of them. "The blonde one, she won't do anything. Far too scared to hurt her friend," he said, nodding at Luna. "And B, you wouldn't hurt your best mate would you?" he asked, using Draco's friendly nickname to clinch it. "You other two though," he said, tsking. "The red head wouldn't have a problem, but he's afraid he'll hit this lovely little plaything in my lap. While the boy with the scar is rather hesitant to hurt this Draco fellow," he said, grinning. "He doesn't think he is, though. He's rather sure he doesn't care for him at all. It looks like he has a sort of respect for him that not even he really knows he has." Shaking his head, he sighed. "Pathetic really, how emotions manage to get in the way of everything."

Turning back to him, Hermione lifted her hands, placing them on either side of Draco's face. Her eyes connected with his, staring searchingly. "I know you're in there," she whispered. "You can fight this, you can fight him."

The black haze lifted for a moment before he closed his eyes and his arms wrapped around her back, tightly. His face ran up hers slowly, his hair running across her skin softly. He inhaled slowly, his mouth settling near her ear. His hands ran up her back, his fingers grabbing hold of the small ringlets that fell down behind her. He hugged her lightly, the embrace felt almost adoring, causing her to call out his name in hope.

"Draco," she whispered, her voice soft and quiet.

His eyes shot open, but only Blaise and the others could see them. His mouth lifted into a lazy smirk, his breath pressed against her ear. "Stop calling out for him, he can't hear you anymore," he whispered, sending chills down her spine. His fingers pressed into her back, holding her against him. "Draco's dead."

----------------------------------------------------

**A/N**_ So, how do you all like dark "Draco"? It was a very intersting way to write him, rather fun really. I'd like to know how you all feel about this chapter. I know I said that things with the journal and the like were going to be in this chapter, but it just didn't fit in like I wanted it to. Sorry._

_Thank you all for reading, I hope to write a chapter to **Summer Haven** tomorrow after I wake up._

_Please review, it's very appreciated.  
Much Love,  
_-_**Amanda**_


	17. A Proposition

**Review offering insight to the story**:

"_Whoa, this chapter was quite eventful to say the least! I loved your descriptions of the spell when Draco was doing dark magic; it gave me a really vivid image in my head so well done on that. Dark Draco is actually kinda freaky, like a demon or something, I have a request to make, in the next chapter you wouldn't mind explaining more about the creature as you call it that has inhabited Draco's body. I'm kinda interested to know what exactly it is and stuff so I mean I'd really appreaciate it if you could include that. Anyways I know I haven't been reviewing ur last chapters but thats coz theres nothing realli new to say, i mean all your chapters are brilliant and the story gets more interesting as time progresses so I feel stupid repeating the same thing over and over again. But I am reading it very faithfully and enjoying it a lot!_" - _**Desi Zephyr**_ of FanFiction net.

**Thanks profusely to the following reviewers of** _Chapter Fifteen_ - **_Dark Love_**: _Dizi 85, PiperPaigePhoebe01, peanutbutterfluff, HSW, Weaselbee, HermionexDracoshipper, Aria DeLoncray, livelife-loveHGDM, ThePranksterQueens, Like Green Fog, Secret Thought, mskarijade, tefy, Jennifer-Marie, mskiti, JpJr, banshee712, sasmith, nicolette, Sam's Firefly, sweetlyevil, So this is love, Kate, smileenov, BabyGirlEmma, tom'sahottie, eolcin8688, Lote22, Caligirl-HPLVR, BodomsGirl, Mrs.JamesPotterxxxx, lele07, cle be, niic smiles, harry2011luva, Naty, Kandygurl4, spotzplaya888, broadwaychick07, ayruh, **nika p., HelloLonely, ProwlingKitKat, Princess de la Plume, Abraxnia, MayBaby525, Desi Zephyr, kie-san **_and _especially_** _dan-lovr_, _Never Forget xl3_, _Odi et amo._**, and** _galloping-goose_**.

**_Growing_**

_Chapter Sixteen_

_A Proposition_

Hermione felt an overwhelming weight crash down on her heart. "_Draco's dead_," she heard; his voice eerily just like her best friend's. Of course, that made sense since the creature was in fact inside Draco's body. There was an edge to it though, as there was with every word that left this _dark_ Draco's mouth. But even though he sounded confidant, even though he was now staring into her eyes with those piercing black orbs, she felt Draco there just before this _thing_ took him back over. As much power as he seems to have, as much access he seemed to have to Draco's memories, he could not recreate the way he just held her. There was nothing about this dark man in front of her that could possible hold her softly. As soon as he gained power again, he was pressing her closer to him with intent to feel her in a way she wasn't about to let happen.

Staring at his cold, expressionless face, she shook her head. "You're wrong," she told him, her voice thick with emotion. "He's in there and I swear that I'm going to get rid of whatever you are," she assured with a calloused expression.

Lifting his hand, he let his forefinger trace down her cheek. "Beautiful, you couldn't get rid of me if you truly wanted to." Shaking his head, he leaned closer to her. Before he said a word however, he flicked his hand, sending the four people near her across the room to crash painfully against the cots and the hard wall. "I can see it in your eyes," he told her, leaning close. "You want this Draco fellow, and not in a friendly way. Just sitting here in his lap probably makes you all hot inside, doesn't it?" he asked, his hand tracing down her neck. "You can't have _him_," he told her, shaking his head slowly. Inhaling through his teeth, he smirked. "But _I_ will gladly take you right here."

Hermione's hand twitched, wanting to reach out and smack him painfully; her jaw clenched with revulsion. Yes, this was Draco's face in front of her, this was Draco's very attractive body she was leaned against. But the cold tone he was speaking with, the dark eyes staring into hers, they weren't Draco's. And there was no way that she would ever submit to any kind of feelings, be them emotional or physical for this dark creature that had her pressed close to him. She felt the distinct need to spit in his face, but managed to control it. She was going to need him to cooperate with her if she wanted to do anything to save the boy inside.

"I can see that you're thinking," he told her, his dark eyes flashing over her face. Sighing boredly, he shrugged his shoulders. "He can't see you right now, he can't hear a word I'm saying," he told her. "He's weak right now, after putting up such a pathetic fight earlier. Exhausted himself, the poor thing," he said, with mock sincerity. "We have some time for a little fun. Your little friends will be out for..." Rolling his eyes, he tipped his head slightly. "The red head will be out for ten minutes. Blaise and the scarred boy will be out for seven. But that Luna girl hit her head fairly nastily, she'll be out for at least an hour." Tsking, he cocked his brow. "She should've watched where she was going, I'm afraid."

"What are you?" Hermione asked, her curiosity surpassing the need to beat him for talking about the lives of her friends so offhandedly.

"Do you know what's great about my species, beautiful?" he asked, not actually waiting for an answer. "When we get inside a person, we are privy to everything they think, thought, do, have done. I know this Draco fellow's entire past," he told her, his eyes seeming to spark with exhilaration.

Hermione felt her heart speeding up, not liking the sounds of what exactly it could know or do with that type of knowledge.

"Would you like to know if he loves you the way you love him? Would you like to know if he thinks about you late into the night? If he's ever found himself dreaming of your delectable body when he shouldn't be?" he wondered, smirking. "Would you enjoy knowing those things? I could tell you them," he said, maliciously. "I could repeat every moment you've ever had with him. From the time he first saw you, to the moment he stopped being a right git to you. I can remind you of the time you fell asleep with him on the couch at your house, your head lazily laying in his lap while he absentmindedly played with these soft brown locks of yours." Grinning now, he leaned forward, inhaling slowly. "I know how often he thinks of you, what emotions he has for you, and what he feels about your future together." His hand ran down her cheek, she couldn't help but notice it was chillingly cold. "Don't you want to know those things?"

Hermione stared at him, knowing in her heart that she wanted the answers to all of those questions. Swallowing, she shook her head. "If I wanted to know them, I would've asked Draco," she told him, a look of defiance on her face.

Shrugging indifferently, he frowned without a care. "That's your prerogative," he said, easily. "But know this," he said, coldly. "If I know everything about you, his very best friend, then I know everything else he knows. I know about the Death Eaters, and the Order, about scarhead and the Weasel. I know about your journal and how your parents are being hidden from Voldemort. I know extensively about Voldemort too, which means I can do incredible things." Shaking his head, his hand locked on her shoulder, pulling her forward. "This boy is filled with so much knowledge on things, those five days you spoke of can easily turn into a lifetime," he told her, wickedly. "Now you have a choice, beautiful. Help me get out of here before your dear Headmaster tries to stop me, or I will take this entire school down before I leave and you... well you'll never see your precious Draco again," he reminded, viciously. Pushing her back, he stared at her daringly. "It's really too bad that you know what I am, I bet we could've had quite the incredible experience. If only you'd stop staring at me in disgust and enjoy the opportunity."

"Hermione," Blaise called out, worriedly. His voice was tired and wounded. He was lying on the floor, holding his injured arm tightly against himself and trying to shake the fog from his mind.

Hermione could feel her heart aching with the knowledge she had been handed. Her head was spinning with questions that she couldn't answer. She was Hermione Granger; know-it-all, book worm extraordinaire, the brain of the Golden Trio. Now, she sat in the lap of her best friend, her fiancé, and the boy she was in love with; faced with the hardest question of her life. Wait to see if people could restrain him, hoping that she could find a way to save him? Or run away with him, keeping him from doing too much harm while she tried to figure out a way to save the Draco hidden inside. Swallowing her eyes fell on the hurt Blaise as she shook her head, painfully. Silently tears slipped out of her eyes, making him fear just what she might be thinking.

Turning to Draco, she leaned toward him, smiling lightly. "You're powerful," she whispered.

"Incredibly," he told her, smirking.

"And you would take down all of Hogwarts if I let them try and stop you," she repeated, questioningly.

"Killing everyone inside," he assured, nodding slowly. "Which would likely give me a high place with Voldemort, don't you think?"

She nodded, despite herself, knowing he was right. "And if I go with you? What then?"

Reaching out, he wrapped his hands in her hair. "I'm not a feeling demon, beautiful," he admitted, easily. "I won't ever tell you I love you and I won't hold you like Draco did. But I'll make you scream out my name every single night," he told her, smirking. "And one day, maybe when you look at me, you'll just see the dark man who can make your body writhe with pleasure, rather than the boy you so dearly love," he suggested, shrugging. "Whatever happens, you can be assured that you'll be alive and safe with me. I can't let something as delicious as you be ripped from my grasp by something as incompetent as death."

"What makes you think I'd want that?" Hermione wondered, her eyes thinning slightly. "What makes you think I'd run away with you to live a life like that?"

"You promised him you'd never leave him," he replied, staring straight into her eyes. "You're fighting with yourself right now, because you know that you _can't_ leave him. You want to believe so much that you can save him, that there's a cure you can find that will make me let him go." Running his hand down her face, over her neck, and settling atop her heart, he grinned, reminding her painfully of the boy he was inside of. "He may not know it, but I'm intelligent enough to figure it out on my own. This heart, your heart, belongs to him," he reminded, shaking his head.

"But you're not him," Hermione reminded, her eyes filling. "I love him, I don't love you. I don't even know what you are. To go with you, I'd have to know that he was trapped inside somewhere. I'd have to live with the knowledge that it was all my fault he was gone." Clenching her jaw, she glared at him. "I have to save him, not run away with what's controlling him."

"Love -though an impossibly ridiculous emotion- is powerful. But beautiful, I'm a whole lot stronger than the heart in your chest and the feelings in your head," he told her, simply. "So this is your choice; last time I'll ask. Leave with me now, save your little school and friends. Come with me and you can have Draco's body, if not the real him." Shaking his head, he glanced at the people who had woken up and were now reaching for their wands. Moving his hand, he caused all of them to press down against the floor as if a crushing weight had fall on them. "Or stay here, waiting for your Headmaster to walk through that door and save you from the big bad demon. He won't succeed," he assured her, sneering. "I'll walk out of this school, with it falling to pieces in my wake."

"And if I stay, you'll just leave me to the '_incompetence of death_'?" she asked, cocking her brow.

Shrugging, he leaned back slightly, his arms settling on her hips. "You're beautiful, fiery, and have quite the mind on you. I could use you for a few things, many I would greatly enjoy," he told her, simply. "But I wouldn't feel a thing if you were to die. Later on, were you to come and something happened to you, I might feel a little annoyed having lost my plaything. But I wouldn't beat myself over the head because of it. I wouldn't conjure up dark demons to save you like your little hero here did," he admitted, freely.

Hermione had hardened herself, his words making it easy to look at him without seeing Draco any longer. She was trying her best to focus on his eyes, the dark black orbs telling of what was talking to her. He had admitted though, that Draco was still inside of him. He'd also said that Draco was strong willed and trying to get free, which reassured her in some way. Maybe all it would take was some prompting, some help in some way or another that would get him out of what he'd put himself in; for her, she reminded. Then again, he's also told her that he was weakening, passed out in a sense from trying to break through and failing.

"I'm on a tight time limit," he reminded, sighing. "I can feel Dumbledore is on his way here now, somehow the old coot knows I've woken up. Or perhaps he's just sensed the magic being used on his Golden boy over there," he told her, motioning to Harry. "Whatever it is, you have to make your mind up now."

Nodding, Hermione stared down at him. She had already made her decision and one look at him had decided it for her. Lifting her leg and moving it so she was straddling him, Hermione leaned in close to his leaned back body. Her hands ran through his hair, feeling the soft strands in her palms. His skin was cold though, so very un-Draco-like. Moving forward, she aligned their faces, her mouth mere inches from his. "We would have fun?" she asked, staring into his eyes and licking her lips.

"Unimaginable fun," he replied, his voice coated with husky lust. "I could do things to you that would have you curling your toes and moaning for days."

Hermione trailed her finger down his face, memories flashing in her mind of all the times she'd done it in the past. Just that afternoon she had been laying this close to him, running her hand down his cheek as he expressed his sorrow over Jasper, over it being a friend next time. She had almost leaned in to kiss him, his mouth was so close to hers; tempting her with its perfect, inviting lips. There were so many moments with him in her mind now; causing tears to rise to her eyes. Sitting on the Abraxan his sweet voice entering her ears to ask her to marry him. Their summer's together and the incredible times they shared. Sleeping in a tent in the backyard, falling asleep in his arms while they talked about the stars, holding him while he told her about how much he wanted to stay there with her forever. The moment they shared when she promised she'd always be there for him; every time she reassured him of the fact. This boy was not Draco, but Merlin strike her down if he didn't make her want to stay with him forever simply for the fact that if she let him leave she'd never see her beloved best friend again.

"You," she whispered, her breath hitting his lips, causing his eyes to fall to her mouth. "Can never be Draco," she told him, simply. "Which means one thing," she said, her voice low. "Either you die by my hand," she said, leaning back to point the wand she had quietly _Accio_'d while he was distracted, "Or I find a way to save him," she told him, simply. "But one thing that won't happen, _beautiful_, is you walking out of here any time soon!" His brows raised for a moment, almost appearing afraid. Before he could say another word, however, she stupefied him; breathing a sigh of relief when it worked.

The Hospital Wing doors burst open then and the three boys' from the floor jumped up, the spell the demon had cast lifted from them when he had been rendered incapacitated. Staring down at him, Hermione felt her tears stream down her face and she couldn't stop herself from leaning forward and burying herself against his bare chest. A lot of what the thing beneath her had said hit her hard and she couldn't help but worry with the outcome of everything.

"Miss Granger," Dumbledore called out, clearly sounding quite unnerved. "I'm afraid that Mr. Malfoy is going to have to be moved to St. Mungo's," he told her, simply.

Sitting up, Hermione sniffled, wiping her face clear of emotion. "No," she told him, seriously. "This is not Draco, but the thing inside of him knows everything he does. You send him there and he's going to escape." Turning around, she stared at him with a fiery anger. "Blaise told me that the people this things gets into makes them insane, homicidal, suicidal, or all of the above," she said, sighing. "I don't believe that's the case with Draco. I believe that, yes, something is inside of him, and yes, he is in there too. He is not insane, he is not going to commit suicide, but he is there.

"Now, the demon that has inhabited him is very controlled in what he says or does. He has taken over Draco's mind and knows a great deal of knowledge and apparently has an unimaginable amount of power behind him." Swallowing, she shook her head. "He is prepared to approach Voldemort if need be and feels no remorse in possibly killing every single witch and wizard in this entire school."

Crossing her arms, she shook her head. "You will **_not_** remove him from this bed, because if you do, you will be faced with a demon on the loose that will likely cause the deaths of more people than you can imagine. What you are going to do is place much more powerful bindings on him and somehow manage to stop him from using his, or Draco's, magic."

Sliding off of Draco's lap, she stood up and smoothed out her clothes. "What I'm going to do, is what I'm good at. Research. Now, I don't care to hear anything you might have to say to stop what I've just said. You know as well as I do that I have made the right decision."

Sighing, she stared up at him. "I ask for two days," she told him. "Two days to find a cure or a counter curse, anything. Upon the end of that two days then I-" Turning back, she looked down at Draco. "Then I will kill him myself." She held a hand up, knowing that every person's mouth had just dropped open to stop her. "You can't lock me up in Azkaban for stating what I _will_ do, but you can try and stop me." Turning back, she stared at each of them. "I am the smartest witch in this room, possibly of the student body, I have a vast knowledge of likely most of the books in the Wizarding world. I will find a way to get to him and I will kill him in 48 hours."

Turning, she stared at Draco's sleeping face, looking peaceful in his unconscious state. Shaking her head, she sighed in remorseful understanding. "I know Draco; he wouldn't want that demon to use his body to do anything that would end badly for the good of the Wizarding world." She heard a derisive snort from likely Ron, but chose to ignore it. "There is nobody that he would rather take his life than me, and you can say that his parents should or will have a say in this, but I really don't care."

Sighing, she turned to stare at the Headmaster who stood somberly in silence. "You have a decision to make sir, and I only hope you come to the right answer. I will be in the library," she informed them, before leaving promptly.

When she walked through the doors, she pushed back the tears that had climbed into her eyes. Pushing her feet forward quickly, she broke out into a scared and emotional run. Students weren't up yet, still sleeping safely in their beds. They didn't know of the danger lurking in the body of a boy who had given everything to save her. They didn't know that she was sobbing painfully as she ran, pushing her body to the limit.

She found herself standing in front of the doors to the library, though it was locked. She used _Alohomara_ to break inside and hurried to the restricted section of books. Tears were still streaming down her cheeks but she had managed to calm herself down enough not to scream or sob. Her sight was rather blurry but she pressed on, running her hands over the spines of various tomes. In the back of her mind, she knew that she should have someone who knew more about Dark Magic there to help her, but she had foolishly run away from the Hospital Wing where her friends were standing numbly.

Pulling out everything she could that so much as mentioned Dark Magic in their Indexes, she sat down on the dusty floor and cracked them open. Her mind was in a flurry of action. Forty-eight hours; that's all she had before she would be pointing her wand at the boy she had been close to for nearly three years. Nobody else would do it, nobody else understood the dire situation. She would work tirelessly, she would not sleep, nor eat, nor bathe. Not until she found the answer to her questions. What was it that was inside of him? What could she do to get rid of it? What would it take to bring Draco back?

The pages before her blurred until she silently screamed at herself that she should cry later, not when she needed her eyes so desperately. It would be her pathetic emotions fault if she overlooked what she was searching for. The pages turned in her hands, the sound they made only reminded her that it was one more page that couldn't help. Words upon words of useless information; none of it telling her what she needed. She wouldn't leave until she had read every book there was on Dark Magic; every paragraph that had 'dark' in it. She would ignore the chatter of students as they filled the library. All talking about unimportant things like the next test they had to study for, or how their hair was really bothering them that day. She would block out the talk of students her age, or near it, so she could be the responsible girl with the mind of a witch much older than her. She would find a way; she would save him if it took her last breath.

_Love -though an impossibly ridiculous emotion- is powerful,_ he had said to her. But he really had no idea just how powerful it was. Just how much it would push her to tirelessly work at saving the life of the man she loved. It would be seen as ridiculous to many, for many would think that she was being impossible as he was now considered a 'lost cause.' But she cared not for the terms they would surely label him; in her mind, he was completely able to be helped. _They_ just weren't working hard enough. _They_ hadn't researched it thoroughly._ They_ did not love him

She had promised him, as the demon inside of him had so painfully reminded, that she would never leave him. And she wouldn't; she put more into that promise than she had any other. She meant every word of it; she would never break her vow to him. Twenty days and they were to be married. Forty-eight hours and he was to die by her wand. Forty eight hours and one minute after and she would surely join him, likely by her wand too; if by chance someone didn't do it for her for murdering him.

This is what love does to a person; it makes them crazy, makes them do things so out of characteristic. Though research really wasn't something she was unfamiliar with; working for two days straight without bathroom breaks, eating, drinking, bathing, or sleeping, was rather uncharacteristic for her. But that's the way it was, the way it had to be. Because no matter what the outcome, whether her research paid off or not, her promise would still hold. _It'll always be me and you, Draco. There's nobody else but me and you. _

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**A/N **_I put "**The Long Day Is Over**," by **Norah Jones** on repeat while I wrote this chapter._

_Now, there will be a lot more information on what has taken Draco over in the next chapter, so rest assured you will all understand exactly what 'it' is and the difference between why 'it' has had a different reaction in Draco's body that 'it' has has in past bodies. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I will have another one up soon._

_I believe I should write another chapter to **BITTT** soon, I guess I was rather upset that the last chapter received less reviews than usual, so I haven't been so inclined to write for it._

_I'm glad you're all enjoying this story! Please leave a review, it's very appreciated._

_Thank you all for reading and reviewing,  
Much Love,  
-**Amanda**_


	18. The Curse of Time

**Review offering insight to the story:**

"_This is the first time I've reviewed, cause I just gotta tell you that I reckon this is probably the best fanfic I've read so far. I apprecite that you didn't go for the obvious thing with Luna and B. However if you're gonna kill draco off, give us a warning cause I dont think I could cope with him dying right now, you've created an altogether too likable character. I dont know if this was your intention, but I think that you've managed to match Rowling's writing style in a seamless way although your story is somewhat darker and sexier. Thank you for the pleasure that reading your creation has afforded._" - **_Tash_** of FanFiction net.

**Thank you to the wonderful reviewers of **_Chapter Sixteen_ - **_A Proposition_**: _niic smiles, brokenflower, Sam's Firefly, livelife-loveHGDM, cle be, bethygirl94, Jamie, Lote22, mskairijade, sandpaw, Sises, sweetlyevil, Amatheriel, gail, Desi Zephyr, Aria DeLoncray, nite-starr, ayruh, tom's a hottie, annonymous, smileenov, Melissa, JpJr, HermionexDracoshipper, Caligirl-HPLVR, cucu4cocopuffs, **Abraxnia, PiperPaigePhoebe01, tash, HelloLonely, Jennifer-Marie, clairlune, Maybaby525, BeInMyEyes, Princess de la Plume, Weaselbee, kie-san, mskiti, Kitsune Kida, annieca, Hyuga Kyuuketsuki, **_and_ especially** ProwlingKitKat, Odi et amo., Kathleen, Jessica,**_ and _**galloping-goose.**_

**_Growing_**

_Chapter Seventeen_

_The Curse of Time_

It was Hour Five when Blaise showed up in the library. She had made it through fifteen books by then; all of them useless. She'd have to have a conversation with Dumbledore about updating their collection; restricted or not, if they're there, they should at least be equipped with the right information. He managed to arrive without her even noticing; then again, she had been blocking out all background noise at that point. Most students were in class by then, so she was basically alone in her search for a cure. Ron and Harry hadn't shown up, though she wasn't entirely sure they would anyway. Blaise though; she felt betrayed when he hadn't appeared right away.

"I searched my entire library," he told her, pulling her from her reading. "Now, my mother wasn't exactly happy to see me home, nor was her new husband, but I ignored them and made my way to the den. I know what we're looking for and you're not going to find it in any of these books." Sighing, he kneeled down beside her. "Look Princess, I want to save him as much as you do, but you're going to have to trust me on this one."

Staring up at him, she felt her eyes fill once again but she pushed them away. He held his hand out for her to take, staring at her with an understanding gaze. Reaching out, she allowed him to help her from the dusty floor. They left the aisle to sit down at a secluded desk, hidden from Madame Pince. On the table there were at least twenty tomes, various titles running across the covers. Sighing, she stared at the pile before giving him a thankful smile. "I- I wasn't sure you were going to show," she admitted.

Holding the chair out for her, he shook his head. "I didn't want to get your hopes up by telling you I was going to search my library," he explained. "These books are not a guarantee," he reminded, seriously. "All pureblood families are raised learning Dark Magic, but I'm certainly not as absorbed with it as Draco is. Were it me there trying to save you, I'd have to read a few books first, while he can just pull it out of his memory like it was an everyday piece of information."

Swallowing, she nodded numbly. "All right," she said, looking at the books in front of her. "So how are we going to do this? Just take a book and start searching or should I know anything specific?" she asked, his voice rather tight and raspy.

"Yeah," said a voice from behind her. "I'm not much of a researcher, so you'll have to gim'me something to go off of." Plopping down in a chair beside Blaise, Ron frowned distastefully at the books in front of him, sighing. "Harry's with Luna right now, but he said he'd be down soon. Madame Pomfrey was going on about something and Luna's head, that's why it took us awhile. Didn't mean to abandon ya though," he told her, fidgeting uncomfortably.

"I was almost certain you weren't going to come," she told him, her eyes falling to the books. "We haven't exactly been on the same page lately."

"Yeah, I know," Ron said, exhaling loudly. "We'll talk about it after we save your fiancé," he told her, nodding.

"My- My what?" she asked, her eyes widening.

Snorting, Ron stared at her through amused eyes. "Harry's quick," he told her, nodding. "Bein' a Seeker and all, he has to be. But I saw that ring just before he slipped it off."

Swallowing, Hermione stared at him rather shocked. "It's a complicated subject," she told him, shaking her head.

"One to be discussed later," Blaise interrupted, passing Ron a book. "All right, the charm that was placed on Princess-"

"Princess?" Ron repeated, cocking his brow.

"Yes," Blaise continued. "That would be Hermione, if you didn't catch that," he told him, frowning. "Now, the one placed on her, via a letter, was the _Nico Violenter_ curse," he explained. "It's a Latin name, meaning to be slain violently." Sighing, he rubbed his temples. "Now Draco, having known every bloody tome on Dark Magic imaginable, knows the only counter curse."

"Which is what he performed in the Great Hall," Ron said, nodding. "Reversing death, which is said to be impossible."

"Yes, well it is in some ways," Blaise told them, shaking his head. "You see, the creature, or demon really, that's inside of Draco now is dead. It's using Draco's body as a sort of host until he gets bored or finds another victim," he explained. "They're called _Mortuus Malum_ demon's, or in English a 'Dead Evil' demon. The only feelings they have are a lust for women and bloodshed. They feel no pain, no remorse, and absolutely nothing akin to love or sorrow."

"How do we kill something that's already dead?" Ron asked, frowning.

"We don't," Blaise told him, shaking his head. "The best you can do is banish it from a person's body. But in all honestly, I don't believe it's ever been done before." Sighing, he took on a dejected look. "And I don't mean that it's never been tried, it's just never been accomplished. These demon's are relentless; they hardly ever get to take over a host, so they use the time they have to their advantage."

"I don't think this one is like others," Hermione told them, glowering. "It has those characteristics, but I don't think it's only interested in Draco for a quick round of fun and then just leaving him. It told me that with Draco's knowledge on the Dark Arts, it might be able to prolong its life. From what you told me, the hosts usually kill themselves or get themselves killed, right?"

"Right, because they go insane," Blaise told her, nodding.

"Well, I don't believe that's the case with this demon. I think it's more interested in using Draco to live out some kind of twisted plan here. It spoke of being able to manipulate the War that's coming to its needs. Getting in touch with Voldemort and setting something up."

"But that's never been done before," he replied, shaking his head. Searching through the pile of books, he pulled one out; the front cover was a misty black cloud before it slowly dissolved to show the words, '**_Dark Souls_**,' in something that looked a lot like blood, dripping. Flipping through the pages, he stopped suddenly, his cerulean eyes running over the words as he nodded. "Right," he said, clearing his throat.

"The _Mortuus Malum_ Demon has only been conjured a combined amount of two thousand times in its long history of fifteen thousand years," he read out. "In all of its past possessions, it has only survived in a human for a high of seven days. While more often the host itself commits suicide, it has been known to be killed by outsiders. Never has a _Mortuus Malum_ gained enough control to live past seven days, as the host is driven so far into insanity that it regains enough control to end his life. _Mortuus Malum_ can only inhabit a male body, as there are no such female demons. Some say that is why the demons have such a high lust drive.

"If the _Mortuus Malum_ find a mate in a witch and she does not return the feelings, more often the demon will kill her for acting against him. If the host has a wife, then the _Mortuus Malum_ will automatically be attracted to her; the same is said about girlfriends, or any close female to the host. Family members do not count, however, as they create an orange glow to the demons, which make them ugly. A _Mortuus Malum_ will not focus solely on those close to the host, but any connection it has will be stronger with them rather than a stranger, as they are privy to all knowledge and understanding that the host has of that woman.

"All memories of a host will be open to a _Mortuus Malum_, except those that a host manages to keep hidden. The only known memory that the demon cannot get to is usually the one that the host is thinking of when casting the counter curse to the _Nico Violenter_ curse. There are some professionals on the subject the speculate that perhaps this memory is the key to unlocking a way to save the host, but seeing as there is no way to find out the memory, it is a dead end.

"The longest known _Mortuus Malum_, with the most possessions to date, goes by the name of Creaven; having 846 hosts thus far. He is also known as the most bloodthirsty; as how many deaths have been his doing were no longer listed after it hit a peak of 13, 268 in the year 1856. He is known amongst other _Mortuus Malum_ as 'Dark Carnage,' as he has never inhabited someone without causing at least five deaths. Hailed as the most evil of all demons, he will only take over the bodies of those fluent in Dark Magic, so he's able to better manipulate the host and all those around it.

"Like all _Mortuus Malum_, Creaven has a female counterspecies; known as the opposite of Creaven in all ways. Destiny, a White Soul, has been known to calm the victims of Creaven just before he drives them to kill themselves. Managing to take them away and give them peace before his cruelties and manipulations drive them to a dark afterworld. White Souls, however, can only be contacted when the host is near death or the _Mortuus Malum_ are ready to let the body go.

"There is no known way to remove a _Mortuus Malum_ from a wizard without killing them. While there was one incident where the wife of a host had managed to pull her husband to the surface for a long period of time, _the Mortuus Malum_, Creaven, had managed to gain control again. Not only did he kill the wife but he then made the host kill both his children, his visiting mother, and then himself in a very gruesome manner. All cases reported thereafter have ended in tragedy. May Merlin have mercy on all souls that host a _Mortuus Malum_."

"That was rather morbid," Ron commented, looking pale.

"Well, I didn't think it would be easy," Hermione said, sighing. "We've got 42 hours left," she informed them.

"You can't really think you are going to kill him," Ron exclaimed, shaking his head. "There's no way, Mione. That's murder! You're incapable of hurting anything, let alone your best mate."

"I will do what I have to do," she replied, her eyes firmly planted on the stacks of books.

"Have you eaten?" Blaise asked, worriedly.

"I'm fine," she told him, taking a book down from the stack to roam the index.

Standing up, he shook his head. "Draco wouldn't want you to do this to yourself," he told her, firmly.

"Draco would want me to save him," she replied, stiffly.

"And you will," he said, sighing. "But you're not going to starve yourself doing it." Handing her a book, he cleared his throat. "I've dog-eared the pages about Dark Magic and _Mortuus Malum_," he told her, frowning. "I'm going to go get us something to eat, and speak to Dumbledore about possibly getting the library closed off from everyone else," he said, glancing at the slowly filling area. "Distractions will only cost Draco his life, and we need to be as on task as possible." Turning to Ron, he opened the bookthe boy was holding to a certain page. "Read thoroughly, don't go outside of the pages I've set forth, there are things in this book that even by thinking will cause a catastrophe," he warned.

Gulping, Ron nodded his understanding.

"Good," he told them, nodding. I'll be back shortly."

---

Hour Fifteen arrived at nearly nine o'clock at night, already Hermione could see it wearing everybody down. Blaise hadn't stopped reading, taking notes and rubbing his tired eyes. Ron would occasionally grumble about being hungry or how his back ached from the way he was sitting. Luna and Harry had joined them in Hour Six, and hadn't stopped helping research the entire time. Luna had told her that while she was unconscious she had a dream that everything would not only turn out well, but that the wedding wouldn't be interrupted by any chapel moths at all. Hermione had tried to smile, but she was far too engrossed in her work to pay Luna much heed.

Harry often rubbed her back, knowing that when she was tense, she often strained her back too much which took her attention away from her books. Sadly, this only reminded her more of Draco as he would always do the same while she was studying with him, of course his touch was a whole lot more soothing because he knew exactly where to rub to make her relax. She thanked him silently for trying to help, though it made her eyes sting with memories of her other best friend.

Dumbledore had answered Blaise's request kindly, by emptying the library and informing all students that it would be off limits until further notice. Though they had grumbled and pointed out that the five students weren't leaving, they had consented to their Headmaster and left. Madame Pince had also removed herself from her beloved library, not without a sharp glare at them though. They could've moved up to the Head Tower, but it was obvious that it would've caused more problems for Hermione to be in an area that was so very reminiscent of Draco. She wanted to have a clear head and to think sharply, to do so she would have to cut herself off from everything that had anything to do with him.

It wasn't until Hour Twenty-One that people were beginning to doze off. Ron had fallen asleep with his nose stuck in the crack of the tome he was reading diligently. Harry's head was propped up on Luna's shoulder, snoring quietly. While the intelligent Ravenclaw rubbed her slowly closing eyes and tried to shake herself awake. Hermione could somewhat understand that they were tired, after all it was almost three in the morning. Blaise seemed to push himself just like she was, ignoring the call of sleep to continue on with his research. He tried his best, but only managed to make it to Hour Twenty-Three and a half before he promptly feel asleep on top of the tome he had been staring at for the past forty minutes.

Hermione did not sleep, however, nor she wake any of them up. Instead, when she was done with her tome, she picked up the one Blaise had been going through and read the pages he had just finished. Then she moved on to the book Ron had, and looked over the notes he had jotted down in his messy cursive. There was a moment where she nearly laughing, having read the part where he started getting tired and wrote down his thoughts part way through.

"The _Mortuus Malum_ are known for having black eyes and a dark voice that will overlap slightly the host he inhabits. The demon will not- I'd like some pumpkin pie, no not that one. I wonder if _Mortuus_ whatchamacallers like pumpkin pie. Draco's not such a bad bloke, at least not so much that he should be taken over by a demon. I'm glad I was never taken over by an M.M. I wonder if their lust is heightened because they're in a teenage boy and their hormone things. I really have to take a piss, I wonder if- Bloody hell, am I writing this down? Oh for bloody sakes- The _Mortuus Malum_ are..."

As soon as she found her mouth turning up in a grin however, it was quickly replaced with a grimace. Now she would have to reread everything to be absolutely sure that things were done properly. It wasn't that she didn't trust her friends, she just knew that sometimes when people are tired, they run off track and don't look at things the way they might need to. As the group of them had only been able to get through ten books so far, and four of them were read while her friends were falling asleep, she took it upon herself to reread every passage in such tomes.

---

It was Hour Twenty-Eight when her friends roused from sleep, looking quite sheepish and apologetic, though she didn't give them a second glance. Harry left to get them all something to eat as everybody firmly agreed that they would not leave for lunch, but stay and research harder. While he was gone however, he was mobbed by a bunch of girls asking about Draco's condition and saying that they had sent Get Well cards and other signs of their affection. It took him nearly an hour to pick the food up and return to the library with it. He ran into Neville on the way, who stuttered out an apology to Hermione and said to tell her that he hoped Draco pulled through; even if he didn't look entirely sincere, the meaning behinf hus words was there.

Hermione hadn't touched the sandwich that sat on the plate beside her tome, ignoring the sustenance to instead fill her brain with more of the same information she had already read in all the books before the one in front of her. Blaise would occasionally clear his throat, as if to rouse her from her reading and remind her to eat. Finally, she fixed him a scowl, telling him to stop it or she'd have a few choice words with him. Harry picked the sandwich up and placed it on top of her book, causing her to turn with a dark glare and open her mouth to yell at him. Being Harry though, he stuffed the sandwich in her mouth the second it opened.

"You can't save him if you pass out from lack of sleep and food," he told her, pointedly. "Since you're our resident brain, we'll need you to keep in top shape." Lifting his chin, he stared at her seriously. "Besides, the brain works better on a full stomach, does it not?"

Instead of replying, she ate the sandwich and returned her eyes to the pages in front of her. Her mind absorbed every word, while her heart thumped with irritation at knowing there was really nothing more in this book than she already knew. She had already been through fifteen books all her own. Blaise apparently had a whole lot more than twenty, she just hadn't seen them stacked up on the floor beside his chair. She had been keeping count of how many tomes everyone had gone through and the startling statistics were more heartbreaking than anything. Ron had gone through eight, Harry a total of ten, Luna had twelve, while Blaise was only behind her by one, with fourteen. That was fifty-nine books without any sign of a cure.

---

"Stop fretting," Blaise told her, his eyes never lifting from the book.

It was Hour Thirty- four and Ron had left for a bathroom break, whining about a full bladder. Harry was currently out searching for an early supper for all of them, as Dobby was more likely to give him food. Luna had ventured off to the Hospital Wing as she had left a potion there to keep her headache at bay. So it was just her and Blaise really, the only two who knew Draco well enough to be heart-wrenchingly concerned.

"Do you know how many books we've been through now?" she asked him, her eyes stuck the page.

"Eighty-seven," he replied, shrugging. Glancing up at her, he sighed. "Listen Princess," he said, leaning forward. "I realize that you're freaking out right now." Letting out a humorless laugh, he shook his head. "So am I," he admitted. "But worrying about the number of books and knowing that we haven't made much progress isn't going to help."

"I have fourteen hours, Blaise," she said, her eyes watering. "That's it! And I'll be holding my wand to him, saying goodbye," she told him, choking up.

"No," he assured her, getting out of his chair to walk around the table. Kneeling down beside her, he stared into her eyes. "Draco is the strongest guy I know. He's got too much here, waiting for him, to let it take him over." Taking her hand, he smiled briefly. "You were right, the demon that has him is not like others. It's darker, stronger, a whole lot more controlled. But that doesn't mean that we can't save him," he told her, frowning. "And yeah, we're on a tight time limit. But you know as well as I do that when all is said and done, that thing will never break free from this school." His face darkened then, his eyes becoming a shade of blue that closely resembled black. "And if it means Draco's life, then at least he died a hero."

Slipping from her chair, Hermione wrapped him in a hug, burrowing her face against his shoulder. "He died because of me, you mean," she sobbed, shaking her head. Her shoulders shook painfully, unable to stop her body from shuddering as she let out how much it hurt her to know that were it not for her, he'd be walking around like usual.

"No," he told her, closing his eyes. Rubbing her back, he held her tightly. "No, he'd never want you to think that." Running his hand over her hair, he pulled back slightly. "The second you fell, he had you in his arms." His eyes were shimmering now, tears clouding them over. "He was cradling you and whispering things into your ear as if somehow you would just wake up and tell him you were fine," he choked out, a watery smile staring out at her. "And I told him, Princess, I told him that it could ruin him, but he didn't care. He never cared about his life, or what would happen to him. All he cared about was making sure you were okay." Running his hand over her tears, he brushed them away and shook his head. "I'm not trying to make you more upset, I'm just reminding you that if he dies, it will not have been in vain. He wanted to do this; he wanted to make sure that you would live."

"I-" Closing her eyes, she inhaled sharply. "I don't want to without him," she told him, sobbing. "I need him so badly," she cried, her hands tugging at his shirt covered shoulders.

"It's okay," Blaise told her, pulling her close to hug her again. "We're going to find a way to save him, I promise you."

Shaking her head, she pressed her face into his shoulder, letting her grief take her. It didn't take long until she had cried herself out, falling into a pained sleep in his warm embrace. She would hate herself when she woke up; she would yell silently that she was weak and didn't love him enough to keep reading and push the pain away until a more convenient time. She would glare at her friends for not waking her and letting her sleep until it was fit to wake up.

"Draco," she called out, her voice echoing around her. She was lying in her room in the Head Tower, a faint sunlight spilling through the window. "Draco, where are you?"

Standing up from the bed, she crossed her arms as a shiver ran through her from the chilly air. Opening her bedroom door, she walked out quietly, her eyes checking the couch to see if Blaise was there, finding it empty. The water was running in the bathroom, alerting her that someone was showering. Somehow, she knew it was Draco and not Blaise. Turning the door handle, she stepped inside, being hit by a cloud of steam.

"Draco?" she asked, her voice rather low.

"I didn't think you'd be up for awhile yet," his voice called back.

Hopping onto the bathroom counter, she shrugged. "I woke up when I realized you weren't there."

There was a faint laugh, before the water turned off and he stepped out. The steam was too thick for her to really make him out. A towel was wrapped tightly around his waist when he stepped up to the sink. He ran his hands through his hair, his arm blocking his face from her when she tried to see if he was smiling. "Sleep well?"

"Of course," she replied, nodding. "Why wouldn't I?"

"You were exhausted after last night," he reminded.

She caught a faint smirk and felt herself blush. "I was not," she told him, shaking her head.

Walking over to her, he placed a hand on each side of her legs, his chin down and his forehead leaning against her chest.

"Draco," she called, hoping he would look up at her.

Lifting his face, he stared at her with a frown. "I told you, beautiful," he said, his black eyes boring into her. "I hate it when you call me by his name," he reminded, cocking his brow. "I let it go last night, but I don't want to hear it anymore." Leaning in, his mouth hovered just an inch from hers. "I like it when you scream Creaven," he whispered, his voice husky.

Startling awake, Hermione blinked her eyes furiously, her head darting around with confusion. Blaise, Luna, Ron, and Harry had all fallen asleep across their tomes. Ron was leaned back in his chair, a trickle of drool slipping out the side of his mouth and the book leaning across his chest. Luna and Harry's heads were leaned up against each other, books sitting open in front of them. Blaise looked like he was really only half asleep, trying to force his eyes open to read the passage in front of him.

Lifting her wrist, she stared down at the numbers of her watch, feeling her heart plummet almost instantly. She had been asleep for twelve hours, a mere two were all that was left. Tears rose up in her eyes, but she shut them tightly. There was nothing left to be learned, no more books to go over. All of their notes said the same thing; no known cure. It was kill or be killed now. Standing up, she felt around for her wand, sitting securely in her robes. There sat the four friends that had been with her through it all. Forty-six hours of reading, writing, and searching for an answer to the question that plagued them.

Two hours until his death, and one minute more for hers. A real Romeo and Juliet ending to it all, now that she thought of it. But nobody would see the Shakespeare in it; they would just see the tragedy of two wasted lives. It was only eighteen days until their wedding, but that really didn't seem relevant anymore. One seventeen year old boy and an eighteen year old girl; lost to the temptation of darkness and the death that accompanies it.

Time to say her goodbyes and let the pieces fall where they may. Walking around the table, she stood beside Ron, snoring rather loudly in his slumber. She leaned forward, pressing a kiss to his forehead and running her hand over his hair. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she took the quill from his still hand and poised it over the paper he had been writing notes out on. A simple goodbye, letting him know that he was forgiven for what had come between them and that she too was terribly sorry for having kept it from him for so long. Telling him that he was like a brother to her and she would truly miss him.

Moving on to Luna, she simply smiled at her for a moment, before penning out on her paper that she was a great friend. That she had been right all along about her feelings for Draco. Thanking her for being there when nobody seemed to want to and for agreeing to be a bride's maid at the wedding that would never come. There was a simple message at the end, that only Luna would understand. "_When it's colder in the front, there's always a friend waiting at the back. Thank you._"

Walking around her to Harry, she stared down at her incredible best friend, so peaceful as he slept beside the girl who would help him in the long run. Reaching out, she brushed his bangs off his scar and pressed a kiss against it. The parchment he had been writing in was held tightly in his grasp, but she managed to get it away without waking him. There were so many things she could say to him; so many things she wanted him to understand about what she was doing. Sighing, she went with the simple route. Telling him that he was vital in her life; that he had meant so very much to her. Knowing that he might be upset with her over what was to come, but that perhaps one day he would understand. She went on to tell him that she believed in his ability to win the upcoming war and that even if she wasn't there beside him physically, that she was at least be there in spirit, guiding him through to victory. She ended it as she would any other letter, "_Love Always, Hermione."_

Lastly, she stopped in front of Blaise. In such a short span of time, he had truly impacted her life. Things would surely change for him when all was said and done; she only hoped that he would be all right in the future. She knew that he loved her, she could feel the extent of his feelings for her in his embrace. Though she would never return those feelings, she really cared for him as a friend. Her note to him was quick, to the point, but not lacking in any emotion. She explained to him that life had a certain way of turning out the how nobody wanted or expected. That this was just another of her and Draco's adventures in life, though it was much harder and painful than all the rest. And she assured him that he would always be in her heart, that he meant a great deal to her and Draco. With a goodbye kiss to his cheek, she shed a tear for her lost friends.

Walking from the library to the Hospital Wing at half past four in the morning seemed a rather long journey. Her eyes warmly ran over every inch of all the hallways she ventured through. Her eyes roamed the portraits asleep on the walls. The chilly air of the night breezed over her skin, but she welcomed it rather than tried to warm herself. She heard the faint sound of her own steps echoing around her, trying to relish in the sounds of her walking through her beloved school.

Upon reaching the Hospital Wing, she pushed the doors open quickly, trying to keep her face impassive as she approached the bed he was bound to. A faint pink sphere surrounded him, likely to stop him from using magic to free himself from his restraints or the school. She put a cautionary hand out to touch it, finding that she was able to slip through. It must've been charmed only to keep demons in or out. She vaguely noticed that it was Tonks who was keeping watch over him, but she'd fallen victim to the late night and slept peacefully in a chair near them.

He was fast asleep still, causing her to wonder if it was voluntary or if they had slipped him a potion to knock him out. Whatever it was, he didn't seem to hear her arrival. Slipping in beside him, she leaned her head back against his shoulder, hearing the thump of his heart slightly reassured her. Closing her eyes, she simply laid with him for awhile, trying not to pay any attention to the tick of the hands of her watch as another second passed, then a minute, and before she knew it an entire hour. Thirty minutes now, that was all that was left of her and Draco.

Tears fell silently from her broken eyes, welling up from her shattered heart to warmly trail her cool cheeks. There was so much knowledge about the creature beneath her, rolling around in her brain. She felt like she was missing something; something vital. Alas, her mind was against her, just like the time that cursed her so. Forty eight hours had passed her by, had left her in a heap of unanswered questions and burning tears. It all repeated in her mind; lack of time, loss of Draco, goodbyes, and two promises. One to Draco that she would never leave him and the other to Dumbledore to fix the problem she had involuntarily created.

Sitting up, her legs on either side of his waist, she watched as his chest rose and fell with each breath he took in his sleeping state. With his eyes closed and his face calm, he looked like her Draco. But she could feel the cold of his skin, the darkness that poured from him. This was not her best friend, nor her fiancé. This was a demon that had taken him over simply to use him as a form of destruction. To kill Draco would be to save the Wizarding world, to save him from being remembered as a murderer. Though she would likely be seen as a killer; smartest witch of her age turns homicidal. Rita Skeeter would have a field day.

The alarm on her watch rang then, quiet enough not to wake the sleeping Tonks. Turning it off almost immediately, she sighed, feeling the heavy weight come crashing down on her heart once more. Inhaling deeply, she pulled her wand from her robes and slowly lifted her eyes to his face, only to be greeted with the black orbs of the unnatural creature living deep inside of her best friend. She had hoped that he would stay asleep, and yet part of her knew it would be easier to see the demon inside, rather than the boy she loved.

"Now, beautiful," he said, his voice dark and calm. "I have a feeling this isn't going to be a pleasant visit."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

**A/N** _Thank you all for reading, I hope you're enjoying it so far. I'll have another chapter up soon. Please read and review!_

_Thank you all,  
Much Love,  
-**Amanda**_


	19. The Tragedy that Love Is

**Review offering insight to the story**:

"_I could count on one hand the number of Draco-Hermione stories I have truly enjoyed, whose plots were not trite or unbelievable, whose characters were loveable, yet not totally out-of-character, whose quality was commendable, and whose nature was addicting. Your story is one of them, and I appreciate the opportunity given to me to see some real talent after mucking about on the Archives for so long. It's stories like yours that keep me on FFnet._" - **_NightBlossom_** of FanFiction net.

**Thank you the following reviewers of** _Chapter Seventeen_ - **_The_** **_Curse of Time_**: _tom's a hottie, darklana16, niic smiles, ADE22, Weaselbee, Lote22, livelife-loveHGDM, sasmith, Aria DeLoncray, Melissa, M03, bethygril94, Kandygurl4, Jamie, Sam's Firefly, dance4eva, BeInMyEyes, KayeChan, ayruh, Secret Thought, pinkwands, Desi Zephyr, itachi--sama a.k.a. cathrun, Tasha, ri-ri, sandpaw, Phoenix Flame01, Ice Angel10, LadyBrianna, sweetlyevil, purplecrazy2291, cle be, mskairijade, Michelle Felton, swimchik09, Jennifer-Marie, **HSW, Caligirl-HPLVR, pyrogirl, ProwlingKitKat, Kathleen, PiperPaigePhoebe01, angelrider93, BodomsGirl, mskiti (Melanie), Jessica, HelloLonely, kie-san, Hyuga Kyuuketsuki, koalabears33, Fantasy Loremaster, Kitsune Kida, NightBlossom**_ and _especially **SilentDJ**_, **_Odi et amo._**, **_annieca_** (You're doing great!), and **_galloping-goose_**.

**_Growing_**

_Chapter Eighteen_

_The Tragedy That Love Is_

"Now, beautiful," he said, his voice dark and calm. "I have a feeling this isn't going to be a pleasant visit."

Lifting her wand, she kept it trained on him, schooling her expression to be sure he wouldn't use her weakness for his appearance against her. She could feel her chin quivering however, against all orders that she was sending it to cease and desist. Her eyes were still obviously wet as she had been violently weeping over the action set in front of her. Were the tears not there, her eyes would still be red though, so she couldn't really hide from him what had been happening. Clearing her throat, she kept her eyes locked on the black lifeless ones in front of her. "You knew this was coming," she told him through gritted teeth.

Shrugging, he simply smirked at her, showing no sign of concern for his life. "Do you know how many times I've had someone point a wand at me, threatening death?" he wondered, sounding rather amused.

"Probably more than I care to hear the result of counting them all," she replied, snidely.

"Well, with my history, it's only natural," he replied, easily. "I've been doing this for longer than you can imagine," he said, sucking air in through his teeth. "Breathing with the lungs of men far less powerful, but still I managed to mold them into something incredible."

"Incredibly dark and repulsive," she spat. "You are nothing but a leach! Praying on the minds and bodies of all those who care about someone enough to try and save them with a magic just as horrid as you," she whisper-shouted, her eyes glancing at Tonks briefly.

"A leach, you say?" he said, tipping his head slightly as if in thought. "You know, if I remember correctly, each person who calls upon the magic he did, made a choice while they chanted. You stare at me, thinking that I somehow took him over. That wasn't the case, beautiful. He let me take him over," he told her, sitting up slightly. "The minute you died," tsking, he shook his head, "this fellow's mind ran with questions, coming up with only the darkest of answers. Save you, sacrifice himself." Staring at her, his lip curled up as if he was disgusted with her, but she could tell is was an act driven to bother her. "How does it feel?"

Gulping, she clenched her jaw for a moment. "How does what feel?" she asked, her voice coarse.

"Knowing that all of this is because of you," he told her, his voice low. "That I'm here, taking him over all because you were too stupid to pay attention to his yelling, his worried screaming for you to stop what you were doing. Because of you, your friendship with him, he lays here without body. A simple soul, waiting inside the shell of himself for the day that the evil demon finally lets him die." Smirking, he nodded shortly. "Yes, beautiful, you are the reason for all of this. So you can sit her and sputter accusations at me. You can hope to your pathetic God, or Merlin, or even that ridiculous Dumbledore if you must, but I will not feel remorse."

Hermione's breath quickened while her heart seemed to be beating out of her chest. He was telling the truth, she knew that. Perhaps part of her wanted him dead to quell her own guilt at being the reason it had all come to this horrible peak of an ending. Had she left Draco alone back in Fourth year, had she pushed him away when she began having doubts, none of this would've happened. If she had said no when he wanted to visit over the summer's, nobody would've been able to take the pictures of them and their friendship never would've gotten out. If she hadn't fallen in love with him, refused to let him go, then his father and all those who were against them wouldn't have reacted the way they did. This was her fault, her stupidity that caused it all in the end. He gave himself up, sacrificed himself for his best friend.

"This is my life; it's what I'm born to do," he reminded, grinning. "It wasn't as if one day I suddenly realized that I enjoyed taking the body of a human and using it against them to do my bidding, though it is quite an upside." Sighing with what sounded like happiness, he cocked his eyebrow at her, a smirk playing over Draco's lips. "You are a witch, do I ask you not to perform magic or live a life of wonderful proportion, of almost limitless possibilities?" Shaking his head, he stared at her. "Of course not. But here you sit, judging me on what I do and how I do it. What makes you the savior of all things good, beautiful? What gives you precedent to decide whether I'm guilty or innocent."

She laughed then, more out of annoyance than anything. "Guilty or innocent," she repeated in disbelief. "Said the demon that planned on leaving a crumbled castle with dead students all through it," she spat, her face twisting with rage. "Your job, as you put it, is nothing more than a cruel stopover for the people who exercise Dark Magic. Your business is to inhabit the bodies of people who lost someone and decided to bring them back with all means necessary," she reminded, shaking her head. "You are a spineless, soulless, cruel and vile creature that deserves nothing less than a Killing curse," she told him, callously.

"By all means, do your worst, little witch," he said, smirking. "But just one Killing curse, beautiful? Please, give me some credit. Why not try it at least twice? No, more. Perhaps three or five times. In fact, why don't you just keep cursing me until you run out of energy." Cackling then, he stared at her as if she were simple minded. "I know that you're considered intelligent, smartest witch of her age even," he said, his tone snide. "Surely you've read up on my kind, perhaps even on me personally. You know that the second you kill me, I leave his body and let him feel the death that rightfully belongs to him," he told her, viciously. "I am immortal, I live to cause death, havoc, and great turmoil through the world that my host provides me."

Hermione swallowed, feeling dread well up in her. He was right, she couldn't kill him specifically. In the end, she really would be killing Draco and simply banishing the demon that was inside of him. When the curse finally hit her beloved best friend, he would be the one to feel the effects that death had and the creature inside would simply wait for his next chance, his next victim. Her eyes were swarmed with tears, her throat burned with the emotion that swamped her so painfully.

He was sitting with his back against the rails of the bed, his arms looking impossibly uncomfortable the way the were strained, but he showed no sign of pain. "You have to know that you're not the only person to ever try this," he reminded, snorting. "I've been met with hundreds of witches and wizards just like you, thousands even. All of them living with a sense of chivalry and such, thinking somehow they're going to save their friends, their family members, their lovers. But have they? Obviously not," he told her, sneering. "And you will just be added to the list of all those before you. A pathetic girl in a sad attempt at saving the boy she loved but never told."

She felt herself gasp rather involuntarily, her hand clenching around her wand tighter. Her eyes stared at him, her blood pumping through her so quickly she felt like it was burning her skin. Her stomach had dropped out, hating that he spoke of her and Draco with such knowledge. He just wanted to hurt her, to remind her that she would never have the chance to tell him, to have him.

"Remember beautiful, I'm swimming in every memory he has of you, of his callous family, and all the things he's experienced since his mind was strong enough to remember," he reminded, amused at her distress. "In fact, at this very moment I'm absorbed with the lovely sight of your angelic body, naked and shimmering after a hot shower," he said, viciously.

Hermione felt the need to wrap her arms around herself, to cover up her body from his lustful eyes.

"You know, it's not too late to get in a little action before it ends," he said, smirking. "Just lift your leg up and over, pull up that little skirt you're wearing, then a little unfastening of the pants and we're about good to enjoy a great time together," he said, his voice hoarse and throaty.

She snorted, staring at him with a look of disgust mingled with incredulity. "I sit here, a wand aimed and ready to kill, and you're asking me to shag you?"

"You agreed to shag him sometime, but I know you haven't. Why not take the opportunity I'm offering to you right now," he said, his eyes traveling over her body. His tongue ran over his lips in what would've been a seductive manner had she not hated him. "I'll even let you scream _his_ name."

Hermione's revolting dream had come to her mind and she felt a shudder run down her spine. "What is your name?" she wondered, fearing the worst.

Tipping his head to her, his eyes seemed to bore into her for a moment, causing her to swallow with uncertain worry. "Creaven," he replied. "Though those who know to fear me, often call me-"

"Dark Carnage," she cut in, her heart stopping then.

Grinning, he nodded. "You've heard of me then," he said, nodding. "Part of you is likely turned on by that," he told her, cocking his brow. "Why not just admit to yourself that you want me? I assure you that there are no complaints on this end, we might as well adhere to the natural flow of things," he suggested, smirking.

Sneering, she thinned her eyes at him. "What part of calling you a vile, disgusting creature did you not understand?" she asked, on edge. "You are nothing more than a problem in my life, something I'm not willing to allow access to the world; Wizarding or not."

He leaned forward then, the restraints on his hands snapped as if a simple piece of string had been holding him back. One arm snaked around her back, lifting her up and into his lap. His other arm lifted, his hand cupping her cheek in a painful and tight embrace, keeping her head near his. "Beautiful, you couldn't keep me here if you wanted to," he told her, easily. Laughing, he looked around with disdain. "You honestly think any of this held me captive?" he wondered, staring straight into her eyes.

It became obvious to her that perhaps she hadn't thought things out as she should have. If she could simply walk through the pink shimmering sphere around her, maybe it wasn't as safe as she thought. Not to mention the fact that Tonks hadn't woken up; she was an Auror, shouldn't she have jumped to attention at the smallest of sounds? Falling asleep on the job didn't sound like something she would do; tripping, hitting her head, and knocking herself out, maybe. She had seen his powers, he had no need for a wand and easily threw people back without a hesitation. She should have prepared herself for this, researched ways to keep his powers at bay. She berated herself in her head then, hating that she hadn't thoroughly researched what she was up against.

There were only little blurbs about Creaven, not an extensive background, except to say that he was highly bloodthirsty and known as the worse and possibly oldest of them all. All she really understood about him was that he enjoyed killing, had never ended a term with a host until at least five people had been murdered by his hand. He had slain thousands of people; children, spouses, friends, and so many more. He was hailed as the darkest, likely most intelligent, of all his kind. She couldn't help but realize that perhaps she was in over her head.

"I was just waiting for you," Creaven admitted, shrugging. "By now I'm sure you understand that lust is always greater for those who are close to the host. And you," he said, sniffing her. "You were very close to him, the closest woman to him really. Next would likely be that delightful mother of yours, but I know she won't be by here anytime soon."

She understood this line of thinking, though a part of her wanted to hear that he was focused on her because Draco loved her. He made references about what they were together, but the demon often referred to her as the best friend. He had said something about a triangle to Blaise, but figured it had to do with Blaise being in love with her and Draco's engagement to her. He hadn't mentioned anything about the event, and she was rather surprised as he seemed like the type to use it against her. Still though, he called her the best friend that loved the host to no avail.

The second person being closest to Draco wasn't a surprise in the least, as her mum treated Draco like her own son most of the time. The two of them had a very close relationship and he often confided that he'd give anything to have her for a mother instead of Narcissa. Which was increasingly evident by how often he slipped up and called her 'mum' instead of Jane. She too expressed how very much she would enjoy it if Draco was a family member, and Hermione couldn't help but wonder if she had been hinting to her in the past. It was well known that both Granger's were highly infatuated with Draco, so she wouldn't be surprised if they were joyous enough to throw a party upon finding out her feelings for the blonde Slytherin. In any case, they'd never find out now; not unless her friends told them.

Since there were so few woman in his life, the third and last to be considered close to Draco would likely be Luna, as the two of them had created a rather odd little friendship. It consisted mostly of Draco listening to her weird anecdotes and asking questions just to see what her brain came up with. He found her to be interesting, if only for her peculiar behavior and thinking pattern. They sometimes had their moments though, when Luna was out of her dreamy daze and Draco would ask her serious questions about things Hermione couldn't hear. She often wondered what it was they discussed, worried that maybe she had admitted Hermione's feelings for her best friend. Much like she had about Blaise and her opinion on Hermione being in love with Draco.

His thumb stroked her face, with unneeded pressure. "Now I don't care if you die or even if I leave here without you, I just happened to know that you would come back," Creaven told her, smirking. "So I figured, why not give her one last chance to change her mind? If she decides in the end that her hero must be sacrificed for the greater good, well... then I'd have to ruin those little plans of yours, wouldn't I?" he said, his voice low, in a fierce growl really.

A shudder of fear passed through her, but she did her best to hide it. It wasn't as if he was going to talk to her all night long, letting her stew in her angry pain until she felt it was time to end it. Dumbledore would be coming to find out if she had gone through with her promise. Her friends would be waking in the library, only to find her heartfelt goodbyes. He was mildly distracted, his unnatural lust for her getting the best of him, as he trailed his hand up and down her back, his fingers pressing into her skin. She felt the wand still held tightly in her grasp, reminding her of the task she had to complete. She lifted her arm then, intent on letting it all come to an abrupt finish.

He was far too quick for her though, his hand wrapping around her wrist swiftly. "Ah ah ahh," he said, shaking his head and frowning. "Come now, beautiful, you didn't honestly believe you had a chance at walking out of here, did you?"

"I really wasn't planning on it," she admitted, a scowl firmly in place.

His brows raised, while the side of his mouth twitched. "Oh, I see," he told her, nodding. "A tragic end to the romance that never began," he said, his brow cocking. "You save him from the dark side, create this unnatural friendship, fall in love with him even though he had a girlfriend and/or fiancé, and then, after he gives himself up for you, you kill him and then yourself," he narrated, shaking his head shortly. "Wow, I bet you'll become that story that all girls swoon over here at the castle. On and on they'll go, prattling about the love the bookworm had for the dark boy hiding in shame of his real self."

"Real self," she asked, frowning. "His real self was never dark," she told him, fiercely.

"Wasn't it though?" he asked, his palm wrapping around her chin. "After all, he must've been heavily into Dark Magic to be able to do use the counter curse he did without even reaching for a book," he reminded, staring at her with triumph. "He managed to keep that "facade" of a dark side going in public for quite awhile. How sure are you that part of him wasn't still as mean and calloused as ever?"

"I know him," she shouted, her brow coming together with annoyance.

"Do you?" he inquired, drawing her face closer. "Because I've been inside his mind, I've mucked through every memory. I have a feeling I know him better," he told her. "So tell me, convince me that he's the good guy you think he is. Explain to me what makes you love him, why you're willing to die for him this night."

Tears slipped from her eyes, silently. Her bottom lip quivered but she captured it rather painfully with her teeth; she wouldn't allow him to get to her like this. This is what he wanted; to get to her weaknesses and exploit them for his own sick pleasure. A rage boiled up inside of her; this abhorred demon was trying to sully her memories of Draco, to make him out to be someone he's not. He wasn't evil; he was confused for awhile, but he came to his senses when their friendship set in. He wasn't that boy that Lucius Malfoy had trained and taught to be vindictive and hateful.

His hand wrapped around her neck, pushing her back, pinning her to the bed. He lay over her now, his face directly above hers, staring into her eyes. "Tell me beautiful, and maybe I'll let your throat go when you pass out instead of killing you," he proposed. "I want to know what makes you tick. What makes this fellow worth any of this when I've made you such a handsome suggestion."

Hermione's hands wrapped around his biceps, trying to push him away but finding his body far too strong. It was as if the strength she used was a mere feather, while he didn't exercise a thing, and yet he stood like a brick wall, unable to be swayed. His hand was still strong around her neck, his body was pressed so tightly against hers she couldn't move. His other hand was buried in her hair, near her face, stroking the brown tendrils.

"Explain to me why a boy whose never so much as kissed you, never set his hands on you in a manner that suggested much more than friendship is worth dying over. Why a boy whose never told you he loved you, except to remind you that you're a fixture of friendship, is worth more than your life." Shaking his head, he grimaced at her in an expression of disgust. "My job is to drive these people insane, to rock them from their status and do my treacherous bidding all over. I've never asked, never cared to know, what made these people work. I want to know why this one is so important though. Why him?" he asked, fiercely.

"I should be asking you that," she spat, angrily. "The history of the _Mortuus Malum_ is one stating that you have overstepped your boundaries. You plan to use Draco to start a real life, to keep him alive while you create a whole future for yourself," she reminded, her eyes flashing. "One week, that's how long your kind lasts, but you plan on extending that. You said so yourself, you could use his knowledge to make a whole lifetime for yourself."

"Precisely," Creaven growled. Pulling his hand from her hair, he slammed it against the bed, rocking them up and down. "A whole lifetime," he said, smirking. "This boy, this mind, is so full of Dark Magic, of plans for everything. I see it all; Voldemort, Lucius, Dumbledore, Death Eaters, The Order, the Ministry. I could rule this entire fucking world, beautiful." His eyes glimmered with excitement. "Imagine it, I could get rid of that pathetic Dark Lord that everyone is terrified of. I could crush anyone that stands in my way with a simple movement of my hand. First, my power will consume the Wizarding world, then I'll move on to the muggle. This entire fucking planet will be in the palm of my hand." Sighing, his mouth lifted in a sinister smile, his eyes running over her face. "And it's all thanks to you, beautiful. You and your death caused this entire thing. Now I have the resources I've been searching for. A man with the power, the knowledge, to bring forth my entry to the real world," he drawled, his voice low and gravelly.

Hermione's eyes widened, her chest began lifting and falling erratically. What had she done? What had her stupidity cost? She had caused the rise of another dark entity; its power indescribable, its intent malicious. And because of her pause, because she had taken a moment to mourn for the boy she was soon to lose and then join, she had given him time to strike back. Now, she lay beneath him, knowing that she was going to be long gone, but her worlds, both Wizarding and muggle, would soon be destroyed in the path of the creature inhabiting her best friend.

"It's really too bad that you can't join me," he told her, not really sounding all that upset. Shrugging, he grinned at her suggestively. "I'm sure by now you can tell that these bodies happen to fit well together," he said, pressing his hips against her in a gyrating motion. "Mmm," he groaned, his mouth falling open with. "Yes, we would've had some time together."

"That right there," she told him, her face set angrily. "This is why I want him and not you; never you. Draco's gentle, he's loving. You're aggressive and all about getting what you want." Shaking her head as best she could, she thinned her eyes to glare at him. "He cares about me as a person, not a plaything," she spat, her fingers digging into his shoulders, her nails biting his skin savagely. "He's intelligent and witty, cunning and strong, while you are none of these. You are simply a black soul, waiting to take over the body of someone completely superior to you," she told him, her voice raising with each word. "While he is everything, you are nothing. A mere speck of inappropriate, pathetic, sad, lonely, garbage, lying inside the shell of the perfect man."

"You know," he said, not looking the least bit fazed, though his grip had tightened on her throat. "I think I like you when you're feisty," he growled, leaning closer to her face.

Her eyes slammed shut as his tongue trailed from the corner of her mouth, up and around her cheek, to settle near her eyes as he panted against her face. The doors burst open in the background, her eyes shot open, staring at her four friends and the older mentor known as Dumbledore. Blaise and Harry were running across the Hospital Wing, wands drawn and faces determined. However, Creaven was much too quick for them and threw his hand up quickly. The pink sphere around them immediately changed to a deep purple, though still translucent. He grinned at them, an expression of satisfaction gracing his face.

As soon as the boys touched it, they were thrown backwards violently, only to be saved by Dumbledore's reflexes, stopping them from painfully slamming into the wall. Luna stood beside Ron, their expressions were of complete shock. Luna's eyes were glued to Harry as both he and Blaise were set down beside the group of three. She watched them for a moment, seeing that their chests were heaving, alerting her that they had been running to her rescue, or possibly even to Draco's. She could tell though, by the way Blaise's face was set, that there was no cure that she had been unable to find. They hadn't stumbled upon the knowledge of how to save him, and Dumbledore didn't know any better than they did.

Creaven directed her face back to his, staring down at her with a malicious smirk. "Did you want to say your goodbyes, beautiful?" he wondered. "Some startling and unforgettable words before you go?" he asked, sneering. "The cavalry just aren't equipped to get you out of the messy predicament you've put yourself in," he told her, grinning. "Hurry up then," he pressed.

Staring up at him, Hermione tried to keep her tears from falling, but turned her face to them, a strong expression shown in the set of her mouth. Through gritted teeth, she directed them as best she could. "You tell my parents that I loved them," she told them, fiercely. "That Draco loved them," she added, a tear slipping down over the bridge of her nose. "You tell them that we did the right thing and I'm only sorry that I caused this in the first place." She watched them shake their heads, opening their mouths to stop her from blaming herself, but she cut them off. "And you _Avada_ him the second he steps out of this shield," she ordered, her voice dark and serious. "Not a second thought," she said, staring at Blaise. "This isn't Draco, this is Creaven, and he won't care for your hesitation."

He laughed in the background, feral and dangerous, as he placed his cheek against hers, staring out at her friends with amusement. "They're quite the group, aren't they beautiful?" he asked, smirking. "All of this for two people," he continued, tsking. "Really, I'm almost flattered at such a turn out. Though I bet I can do better in the future," he said, cocking his brow. "Well," he exclaimed, sighing with obvious boredom. "This has been terribly pathetic to watch, so let's get this over with, shall we?" he asked, showing no sadness or remorse at all.

Tipping her head to the side, he kept it aligned with his, his tongue darting out to press against her top lip. She whimpered, closing her eyes pretending it wasn't happening, hating herself for the weakness. His teeth bit into her bottom lip, tugging it slightly, causing her to let out a pained gasp. A guttural growl could be heard emitting from his throat, his body leaned into her, adding pressure to her once more. His hand wrapped around her cheek, the pad of his thumb running over her skin.

"Foolish girl," he breathed, releasing her lips. "Letting love get in the way," he said, lowly. "You had it right there, the tool to end the bloodshed, but you let your guard down. Weeping, praying, begging for a change." His hand wrapped tighter around her throat, causing her eyes to widen with fear. "A few last words though, beautiful." Leaning in, he pressed his mouth near her ear. "It was all for nothing," he whispered. "He never loved you. Not the way you did him."

Letting out a thick sob, Hermione's eyes closed with the painful knowledge. Part of her didn't want to believe him, but another part wondered why he would take the time to lie. Perhaps for his sick pleasure; all the same though, he hadn't lied so far. Her heart ached, while her grasp around his shoulders loosened. She was too tired, too sick of fighting the inevitable. She was wandless, her friends couldn't get to her, pinned beneath him, and knowing that his hands were ready to rid her of the life she still possessed.

Creaven tightened his hands around her throat until she couldn't breath at all. Her hands lifted out of instinct, wrapping around his wrists to pull the pressure away. He sat up then, his arms straight and his eyes darker than ever, a gleeful smile over his lips. He was enjoying this; the dark energy of taking a life was what he thrived off of. Her nails dug into his flesh, her hands slowly moved up his forearm, grasping at him. She was making sputtering noises, trying so very hard to inhale.

In the background, she could hear sobbing, hear the muttered incoherent sentences of her friends as they witnessed her death. She could identify each one of them, paying close attention to them to keep her mind off of the burning sensation in her chest. Luna was outright sobbing, her hiccuping tears were full of high-pitched sharp inhails. Ron was making thick, grumbling cries, his emotion always made his voice thick. Blaise was breathing heavily, making the strangled noises of a man trying to hold in a pained sob; she was fairly sure he had turned his back though, as it sounded more distant than the rest. While Harry had fallen to the ground, screaming, "No!" while he slammed his hands into the ground out of angry frustration.

Then, just as her eyes felt like they were fading, like her life was draining away to the point of nothing, it ended. Her hands had fallen from his arms long ago, laying limply on the bed as she waited for the end. Her vision returned to her and her chest heaved with the deep inhale of air she was privy too. She had been confused at first, not understanding why it was she had been allowed to live. She considered that perhaps this was his way of torturing her; to bring her to the brink of death, only to let her live, and then to do it all over again, until he was bored. Blinking rapidly, her eyes searched around for Creaven, settling on the wall ahead of her, halfway up, where he was pinned in a T form.

His chest heaved, his head lolled forward, hair dangling across his face. Rubbing her neck, she sat up slowly, trying to understand what was happening. His head lifted then, silver eyes greeted her, though his face was strained. Her heart leapt as she realized it was Draco staring at her, not Creaven. His head flew back, connecting with the wall loudly; his face turned to the right side, his mouth dropping open. "You're not hurting her anymore," he gritted out.

Suddenly, his head jerked to the left, a sinister smile appearing and the black fog returning to his eyes. "Oh, but I was just starting to have fun," Creaven's darker voice said.

His head returned to the right, eyes fading to silver once more. His chest only seemed to heave when he was in Draco mode; his face was only twisted in pure agony when he was himself too. While Creaven appeared natural and completely at ease with everything, Draco was suffering greatly. "Let her leave," he gasped, his jaw clenching.

Returning his head to the right, Creaven laughed, though it was rather humorless. "Or what?" he asked, cocking his brow.

Hermione watched as his head would turn from side to side, as it would change from Creaven to Draco over and over. Part of her was hopeful and yet another knew that Draco wouldn't last long, that he would surely run out of energy to keep going. Just two days before and all he could do was hold her when she told him she believed in him, and jerk away from her when Creaven had leant in for a kiss. This had to be draining him completely; Creaven had admitted that the last time had taken so much out of him he had passed out inside.

"Or I'll continue history and kill myself," he gritted out. "Then your plans are shot." Draco seemed to be straining to stay himself, but the demon inside gained power.

"You can hardly move your mouth, how are you going to kill yourself?" Creaven asked, not convinced in the least.

As it turned back to Draco, he paled completely, his mouth hanging open with obvious agony as his breathing became shallow. Lifting his eyes, he stared straight at Hermione. His fingers flicked and her wand lifted shakily, landing in her lap. "Two words," he told her. "Just two words and you save us all," he said, his voice raspy. "It's for the best, my little lion," he whispered, referring to the nickname he had given her shortly into the summer after fifth year.

Hermione's tears slipped down her face then, her mouth quivered with everything she wanted to say. Closing her eyes for a brief moment, she shook her head. "I c-can't do it," she breathed, letting out a cracked sob.

"I-" Coughing, a spurt of blood slipped from his mouth. "I can't be the cause of this," he said, licking away the offending blood before it scared her too much. "You can't let him do this," he told her. His mouth lifted, smiling. She could see the pain in it though, as hard as he was trying to mask it, she could tell.

"I promised," she whispered, shaking her head, letting more tears trail their way down her cold cheeks. "Me and you, until the end."

"You're right here in front of me," he reminded. "This is my end," he told her, wincing.

He slipped from the wall then, sliding down to land on the bed. His knees connected with the mattress while his upper half fell forward. He pushed himself up from the bed, his arms shaking with the exertion. She reached out swiftly, helping him, pulling him up to her. He gave a short laugh before it turned into a spasm of coughing, wetting her shirt with the liquid of his life. His face was pressed against her chest as he inhaled shallow breaths. One of his hands was wrapped around her upper arm while the other rested against her hip. Her head was tipped down, her closed eyes buried in the soft strands of his hair, tears freeing onto him.

"You're everything to me," he breathed, his hand slowly losing its gentle grasp on her arm to fall down, resting on her leg. He turned his head, his face buried near her neck, tears slipping out to grace her skin. "There's nobody else," he said, clenching his teeth for a moment. "Nobody that I want to do this rather than you," he said, quietly. Lifting his head, though it looked as if it caused him a great deal of pain and energy, he rested it on her shoulder, tipping her face down to look at him. "There's nobody alive that I trust more than you, that I love more than you," he said, softly. "You're my best friend," he whispered. "My other half; my better half," he added, smiling. His fingers had found a lock of her hair, twisting it around his finger as he always did. "Be my angel, Hermione," he breathed, staring up into her teary eyes. "End it."

"I'm sorry," she cried, shaking her head. Her hand lifted to cup his cheek, her thumb brushing his cheek. "Don't make me do it," she sobbed. "I can't lose you," she told him, her eyes closing. "I can't- I won't- We- You-" Inhaling spastically, she held him close to her, feeling his tears on her shoulder just hurt her more. Swallowing, she closed her eyes, inhaling everything in; the pain, the tears, the fear. "I love you," she told him, her voice was so quiet however, she hadn't even heard herself. Lifting her hand, she closed her eyes, pointing the wooden instrument directly at his heart. She felt him stiffen, knew his eyes had closed, and bit her lip as he hugged her to him. "**_Avada Kedav_**-" she began, only to be thrown back against the bed, cutting off her words.

Growling, Creaven glared down at her, one hand pressing her wand arm down, while the other had her pinned by her throat. "I'm getting a little tired of these attempts on my plans," he told her, his voice dark with anger.

Hermione's eyes widened, staring up at him; feeling nothing but failure. Swallowing, she locked her eyes with the black orbs, holding no trace of the former warmth that the silver eyes had shown her. Jet black -no emotion whatsoever- simply dark with hate, death, and a lack of any real feeling.

"He's a strong little bastard," Creaven spat, sneering. "It appears that you aren't so willing to kill him though," he reminded, his mouth curling with a smirk. "It's your emotion that gets you killed."

"Better than being like you," she replied, glaring.

He snorted, cocking his brow. "Perhaps," he said, shrugging. "Though I quite enjoy it."

His hand was moving around her throat now, as if teasing her, keeping her on edge until he finally killed her. His fingers grazed the chain holding her engagement ring, causing her to stiffen. She worried that he might pull it out, tossing it away or destroying. If she was going to die, she at least wanted to be buried with the last reminder of her former future with Draco. Unfortunately, he seemed to notice this bodily action, because he brought the ring out, holding it between two fingers.

"His mother's ring," he said, his brow furrowing. "Why do _you_ have this?" he wondered, staring down at her with confusion.

Hermione glared at him, an angered smile on her mouth. "Like you don't know," she spat, her eyes thin.

"Would I ask if I did?" he inquired, his voice sharp.

It slowly dawned on her then; he really didn't know. The ring held in his grasp, the reason she was keeping it on a chain, their whole engagement hadn't occurred to him in the least. But if he had sifted through Draco's memories, he was bound to run across that one. There was no way it could've passed him by; there had to be at least a few referring to it. How could Creaven not know anything about her and Draco getting married. Unless- The information Blaise had read out to them flashed in her mind, his voice sounding in her ears as if he was saying it to her right then.

"_All memories of a host will be open to a **Mortuus Malum**, except those that a host manages to keep hidden. The only known memory that the demon cannot get to is usually the one that the host is thinking of when casting the counter curse to the **Nico Violenter** curse. There are some professionals on the subject the speculate that perhaps this memory is the key to unlocking a way to save the host, but seeing as there is no way to find out the memory, it is a dead end._"

"It's my engagement ring," she told him, her mouth slowly lifting to a grin. "Draco and I were to be married on Christmas," she told him loudly, making sure he heard her clearly. "What's wrong, Creaven?" she asked, feigning concern. "Did that memory seem to slip you by?" she asked, callously. "He asked me while we flew high above the castle on an Abraxan-"

"Stop," he told her, quietly.

"He held by hands out, telling me of freedom and how we were the only ones who could trust each other anymore-" she continued.

"Stop," he said, a little more forcefully. He was sitting up now, his black eyes wide as he stared at her. His brows had lifted and she was sure that it was fear marring his features now.

"He told me he'd never become like his father; he wanted to be his own person, to live a life free of darkness-"

"Stop," Creaven yelled at her, his hands latching on to her shoulders to shake her.

"He vowed that there was no one out there that would ever be there for me like he would," she told him, shaking her head as tears formed in her eyes. "He promised to keep me safe, to fight for me," she cried, her eyes closing for a moment. "He assured me that we would make it through the War, through everything." Shaking her head, she glared at him viciously. Her hands rose, wrapping around his shoulders to push him back. "Christmas day," she screamed. "Eighteen days and we'd be walking down the aisle of a chapel to be married. We were going to write our own vows, to treat it as traditionally as possible. Blaise was his best man, Luna was my maid of honor," she yelled, her voice thick with emotion.

"STOP IT!" Creaven screamed, his hand wrapping tightly around her throat, cutting of her words. "Stop fucking talking," he yelled at her, his grasp tightening. "You stupid, filthy little mudblood," he shouted, his eyes darkening. "You think you can stop me? You think you can save your little hero?" he asked, shaking his head. "No more memories, no wand to save you, and your perfect little savior has collapsed from exhaustion." His grip became so tight, she was worried that he'd snap her neck like a twig at any second. "I am Creaven - Dark Carnage," he shouted. "You are just a meaningless girl with ridiculous feelings," he spat. "I've been up against wizards and witches stronger than you; smarter than you. YOU ARE NOTHING!" he bellowed.

Hermione clawed at the hand around her throat, her eyes bulging as she stared at him, watching as a white light began spilling from his eyes, causing him to scream in agony. She had no idea what was happening, but she breathed a sigh of relief as his hand let go of her, trying to cover his eyes and stop the light, without victory. His face twisted into a pained, scared expression, while he screamed out obscenities and then long strings of sentences she was sure were in another language; one she didn't recognize in the least. Breathing heavily, with her hands around her throat, massaging the pain away, she watched in fearful interest; hoping she had done the right thing, hoping it would save Draco.

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**A/N**_ I hadn't realized I'd left you guys for a few days. I update so often, I always think that I've written the day before. __I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you all for reading and reviewing, and I hope to hear your opinions, as they are really and truly appreciated._

_Much Love,  
-**Amanda**_


	20. Repercussions

**Review offering insight to the story**:

"_Firstly, congratulations. not only for writing one of the best and well constructed stories I have read on this web site, but for being one of the few to keep me so engrossed in the story that nothing, not the english homework I ought to be doing nor the thrilling program on tv, keeps me from reading on. The way I have acted while reading your story is the way that only some truly wonderful books and a few other fan fictions have had me. Your skill for creating such an enjoyable and on edge story should be commended. I only hope that one day I may be able to write as well as you do. Thank you for filling my boring nights with drama, suspense and pleasant dreams_." - _**anie smiles**_ of FanFiction net.

**Thank you to the following reviewers of** Chapter Eighteen - **_The Tragedy That Love Is_**: _Secret Thought, cle be, Dizi85, angelrider93, Courtney, itachi-sama a.k.a cathrun, pinkwands, Logan's Princess, bethygirl94, Michelle Felton, Melissa, livelife-loveHGDM, mskiti, HermionexDracoshipper, Jennifer-Marie, leafsgurl999, brokenflower, xlalal0ve, BodomsGirl, Dragon of the Earth, brandii, sandpaw, ThePranksterQueens, cucu4cocopuffs, Jenny, strawberrigashes, anonymous, Kandygurl4, scooterrg, Aria DeLoncray, Blackonyx21, mskairijade, Jessica, purplecrazy2291, BeInMyEyes (Andrea), Sam's Firefly, ayruh (x2), Mrs. St. John Allerdyce, Killer Bunni, niicsmiles, blkmagicklily, thejackiegirl, Ice Angel10, Kaye Chan, MajorFanFic, eolcin8688, Phoenix flame01, CharmedLife19, sweetlyevil, punkhotti006, Kathleen, **Abraxnia, PiperPaigePhoebe01, anie smiles, Fantasy Loremaster, sasmith, Efa, Zarroc, JVolans, ProwlingKitKat, Hyuga Kyuuketsuki, Lote22, HelloLonely, kie-san, Classic Pairs Shipper, Caligirl-HPLVR, jk rowling the 2nd, Princess de la Plume, Weaselbee, Kitsune Kida, Maybaby525, **_and _especially **fanficreader**_, **_Feltonluver4eva_**, **_Odi et amo._**, and **_galloping-goose_**.

**_Growing_**

_Chapter Nineteen_

_Repercussions_

Finally the white light had stopped from its forceful spilling out of his eyes, forming into a shimmering body. At first glance, it didn't appear to be anything, but when Hermione focused her eyes, she saw a girl. Her skin was pale as porcelain with large, round glowing white eyes and light pink lips. Her hair fell in a wave of alabaster strands, reaching to her small feet, hovering a foot from the floor. Pointed white ears stuck out of her featherlike hair, while it swayed around her as if by some unknown wind force. A light dress hung around her body, wrapping her small form with a gleaming fabric. Her tiny arms lifted, along with her body, until she was eye-level to Creaven.

"You stand charged, Creaven of the _Mortuus Malum_," she told him, her voice holding a sweet and soft texture to it. Though she sounded like a young child, it was obvious that she was ancient in her life.

"I have done nothing but my job," he yelled at her, his chest heaving and his shoulders hunched. Baring his teeth as if he were an animal ready to attack, he fiercely growled at her. "You have no right here, Destiny. I was called upon; you have no jurisdiction until the host is _dead_!"

"No," she told him, her head swaying back and forth. "You have finally met your match, Creaven," she said, with a faint smile. Stepping forward, she turned to place a coruscating hand on Hermione's cheek. "For thousands of years, I have waited upon a witch or wizard of superior intelligence." Her mouth raised in a proud smile. "Child, you have brought upon a new age. No longer will people fear the _Mortuus Malum;_ as a possible counter to their deathly behavior has been found." Her white eyes turned to stare at Creaven, while her mouth thinned with anger. "Thankfully, you were able to stop the being who caused the most destruction through his lifetime."

"I- I don't understand," Hermione said, shaking her head. "If he's been doing wrong, why hasn't he been punished in the past?"

"We have no say in their actions until they've been caught," she explained, turning to stare into Hermione's eyes once more.

"But why does the memory push him out? How does it stop everything?" Hermione asked, her brow furrowing with question.

"The person who has been inhabited by the _Mortuus Malum_ has one chance at survival," Destiny told her. "When they perform the counter curse to _Nico Violenter_, they are to focus on an event in which both them and the person who has died have played a part in. It is recommended that this event be something happy, as there is no better way to counter the darkness that is death but the light that is love." Smiling gently, she sighed quietly. "This memory is then kept away from the demon that resides in the host, in hopes of someone saving them. The memory then has to be recited to a degree, bringing the memory to life for the _Mortuus Malum_ until he realizes that he is being discharged from the body."

"You're the White Soul that comes when the host dies though, to take them to a place of peace," she said, softly.

"Yes," Destiny admitted, nodding. "I have stood by, watching as the lives of many good men were killed for Creaven's own desire," she told her, sadly. "You have no understanding of just how grateful I am that you have finally brought the end to this creature."

"What happens now?" she wondered, her eyes watering while she worried her bottom lip.

"Because you've deciphered the loophole in him, stopped him from his murderous actions, we can now put Creaven on trial for what he has done. With the evidence I have collected over the fifteen centuries of his life, I can honestly promise that he will never be able to inhabit another human for the rest of his miserable life." Turning, she smirked at the dark demon before her, an eagerness was evident in the set of her mouth.

Gathering her courage, Hermione stared into the black eyes of Creaven, who simply glared viciously at Destiny. There were so many questions milling in her mind; so many things she wanted to understand about everything. But only one question stood out; only one was truly important. "What will happen to Draco?" she asked.

Sighing, Destiny turned to look at Hermione softly, a faint glow of pink to her cheeks. "Child, I must admit that this is the first time any _Mortuus Malum_ has ever been caught for treachery against the humans. I cannot promise that he will live, as I know that he has been suffering through a great deal under the stress of fighting off Creaven," she admitted.

Hermione inhaled sharply, feeling everything inside of her deflate. This was supposed to be her happy ending; everything was supposed to turn out all right. But here stood a White Soul, telling her that the future of her best friend was still very much uncertain. What did she get from all of this in the end? She had found a cure, in some senses. She had caused the end of Creaven; darkest soul of all _Mortuus Malum_. But in the end, she was still left with a dying Draco. Only this time, she'd have the real him there with her; she wouldn't be met with a creature that cared nothing for her.

Nodding slowly, Destiny reached out her small hands, cupping Hermione's face. Her palms were warm, almost more like the sun was kissing her cheeks rather than the hands of an angelic being. "When the darkness reaches into our minds, we must trust the light of our hearts to free us," she told her, as if it explained everything. "He who has met the darkest of creatures and lives to fight, will always come out on top. Be it in death or life, the champion in the end triumphs with a greater sense of all that is." With a childlike smile, she turned to Creaven, her pale eyes darkening to a deep red.

Hermione suddenly felt the need to back away, as if some unhearable voice was beckoning her from the beings in front of her. Crawling backward, she slipped to the side of the bed, watching as Creaven stood up, meeting Destiny with a dark expression. His hands were curled into fists at his sides while his jaw clenched tightly. Hermione could tell he was hardly suppressing the dark rage that boiled deep inside of him. She felt a shiver of fear run down her back; she knew Destiny was quite powerful, to be speaking to Creaven as if he was nothing proved that. Sitting there though, she couldn't help but feel as if perhaps even Destiny had underestimated the dark demon standing in front of her.

"Creaven of the _Mortuus Malum_," Destiny said, her voice became dark, as if something else; something with overwhelming power, was now talking. "Known to his kind as Dark Carnage; you have been deemed worthy of trial for the following reasons: You have been found guilty of heresy against the Laws of the White Souls, of which you are bound by blood to abide by. You stand trial for 39,586 counts of forceful acts upon the women of humankind. For 94,912 murders involving women, men, animals, and children. Lastly, you have been found guilty for the act of trying to use the body of your host, Draco Aleczander Malfoy, for your own beliefs. For trying to take over the Wizarding and Muggle world with a fascist view.

"I, Destiny of the White Souls, hereby place you, Creaven of the _Mortuus Malum_, under arrest for such repulsive acts. You are banished from the body of your host, and henceforth to be taken to Dark Prison, where you will be left until trial. If you are found guilty under the Law of Souls, you will then be transferred to the Soulless Lands; where you will live out the rest of your existence, roaming the world of the Undead."

"Come now Destiny," he spat, his head turning to the side with a snarling mouth. "You can't honestly believe that I will let you take me away for these pathetic charges? I am the oldest of the _Mortuus Malum_; the darkest of my kind. You cannot force an elder to stand trial for this. I was standing with my peers as those Laws were written," he yelled, shaking his head. "As I said then, they are complete and utter garbage," he spat venomously. "Step aside, White Soul, you have no standing here until my host is dead," he told her, angrily. "And you," he said, turning wildly on Hermione. "You, my little mudblood, will pay for your treachery against me."

"Calm yourself Creaven, or I shall restrain you," Destiny told him, her voice steady but dark.

"And what do you plan to do?" he asked, sneering. "Blind me with your purity?" Raising his arms, he caused a crackle of magic to exit his fingertips; black ropes wrapped around the petite form of Destiny.

Easily snapping them from her by merely shrugging, she shook her head at him with disdain. Reaching out, Destiny wrapped her small hand around his throat, lifting him from the floor until his feet dangled a few feet. "You know better, Creaven. You never speak, nor act, acrimoniously to a White Soul; especially to me. Do I make myself clear?"

Creaven, unable to breathe let alone speak, simply nodded his head.

Letting him go, Destiny stared down at him as he picked himself up from the ground he had crashed upon, rubbing his neck. "You have two choices," she said, her voice still steady. "Come willingly or I shall be forced to call upon the Order of the Light. You will then be restrained, bound, and if you lash out once more, killed without trial."

"What does it really matter? My punishment is basically set in blood," he spat, his mouth curling.

"Would you rather die now or later is what I should have asked," she admitted, nodding her head.

Sighing, Creaven stared at her. "And if I choose not to leave at all?"

"That is not a choice," she told him.

His eyes darted to the side, an expression as if he was calculating the possibilities of escape crossed his face.

"Perhaps I did not make myself clear," Destiny said, her hands raising until the sat in front of his eyes. "You are banished from this body and awaiting trial," she reminded, shaking her head, causing her white hair to sway wildly around her. Her fingers splayed out in a swift motion until Creaven began screaming, lowly, with a tremble worthy amount of agony.

A hazy black light began pouring from his eyes, gathering into spheres in either palm of Destiny's hands. With a sharp and abrupt end, the screaming could no longer be heard. Draco's body slumped to the side, falling across the bed, pale and limp. Destiny placed her hands together until the black circles of light joined together, hovering before her. Expanding quickly, it then took on the form of what Hermione assumed to be what Creaven looked like outside of his hosts.

Like Destiny, he was surrounded by a glow; only his was dark and unnerving. With glowing black eyes, he stood as tall as Destiny, sharing her white hair, though his was much shorter, coming to rest just above his pointed ears. His mouth was long and thin, twisting into a sneer of white lips. His skin was completely silver, gleaming as the magic around him crackled with intensity. His arms with thick, like giant tree trunks, lined with pulsing muscles; looking rather disturbing on his small form. His hands were long with wide blue veins sticking out of them; three inch black nails came to a sharp point from his fingertips. His mouth hung open, revealing long jagged fangs, dripping with a blood-like saliva.

Hermione could see Draco, as his body was really only a few inches out of reach. His head had lolled back over the bed, his soft blonde hair hung down from his unmoving head. She stared at his face for a moment, terrified of whether or not he was breathing or lying dead beside her. His face was far too pale, drained of life and energy. His mouth dropped open and Hermione hoped he was going to draw in a long and needed breath. Instead she was greeted with a thick cough, expelling a spatter of blood that pooled around his mouth, spilling down the side. She had to stifle the scream begging to escape her mouth, as she feared what Creaven would do if he took notice of her and Draco again.

"He wasn't going to last much longer anyway," Creaven told Destiny, though he turned to stare at Draco. His voice much thicker than Hermione had remembered; now it was nothing but a low growl. His eyes left the still form of Draco to settle on Hermione as she shivered worriedly, her hand slowly reaching out to her best friend. "After he dies, beautiful, you should look to revive him," he said, darkly. "I know the perfect counter curse to death. His eyes lifted, glancing at the three young men behind her. "There are a few living boys I'd gladly inhabit. Which would you like me to? Which would you rather? Or perhaps you prefer my real form," he said, staring down at her. "Why not add another charge of 'forceful acts upon the women of humankind'?" he suggested, smirking.

Turning to him, she glared angrily. She felt the buildup of tears in her eyes; filled with agony and fear, more for Draco's life than of the dark creature ahead of her. "I hope you live a miserable existence, where you have nothing to control and the world is nothing but complete torture for you."

Creaven's white lips lifted until he was grinning at her, savagely. "Join me and we'll enjoy it together."

"Burn in hell," she yelled at him, unable to control her anger.

He began laughing then, a dark and blood curdling laugh. "Hell is nothing. I created hell, I am hell in demon form."

Destiny shook her head, a sad expression on her face. "That's quite enough, Creaven," she told him, her hands lifting high into the air.

Sneering at her, he turned back to Hermione. "Remember what I said, beautiful. Feelings are but a problem, especially those that are not returned."

Before Hermione could reply, Creaven began to glow in a heavenly white light, coming out of Destiny's hands. "Thank you, Hermione Jane Granger, for you have brought upon a small part of peace that will forever be rejoiced. The White Souls send their praise of your intelligence and sharp intellect. Remember child, he stands as a champion in every sense of the word."

Hermione stared at her, at a loss for words. Tears leaked from her eyes while she watched the beautiful, angelic creature slowly evaporate, the white glow slowly dissipating. As she disappeared, the purple shield around her and Draco fell completely, leaving them open to their surroundings. Moving to him quickly, she lifted his head with her arm, gently turning his body so he was laying properly on the bed. She tipped his head to the side, worrying about the blood that continued to slip out of his mouth, wetting his face and the pillow beneath him.

Pushing his hair off his forehead, Hermione swallowed as she found it becoming cold and clammy. Turning her head, she stared at her friends. "Where's Madame Pomfrey?" she asked, her voice croaky. "H-He needs help," she told them.

Luna stared at them, slowly nodding. She turned and ran out of the room to the side door leading to where Madame Pomfrey's office lay.

"Is he- I mean, is it really..." Blaise trailed off, swallowing the uncertainty in his throat. Walking around the bed, he kneeled down beside his best friend. "This is Draco, right?"

Hermione hardly spared him a glance, her hand still running over Draco's hair, smoothing it down over his head. "I don't know if he's going to-" Cutting herself off, she shook her head as her eyes clouded over. "After all of this, he has to live." Turning to him, she stared at him questioningly. "Right?" she asked.

Sighing, Blaise stared back at her with sorrowful eyes. "This is Draco were talking about," he said, his voice sounding vaguely cheerful. "You know as well as I do, Princess." He chuckled slightly. "He's too stubborn to die."

"Yeah," she agreed, her head becoming heavy. Her breathing began picking up and she felt herself swaying.

"Hermione?" Harry called out, sounding far away.

"I don't feel so- I don't- Draco-" Falling backward, she felt her world go dark.

---

Hermione's head was throbbing as she blinked her heavy eyes, finding her sight blurred. A face appeared above her, causing her to blink rapidly until she could make out their face. She felt something in her hand, but she didn't need to look; after three years, she knew the feel of his hand in hers. It was loose however, causing her to wonder if perhaps she had taken hold of his hand, rather than the other way around. Her brow furrowed while her mouth turned in a frown. Her headache had caused her eyes to half close in a wince, but the face hovering above her hadn't moved yet. Soon, three others had joined the first person, all looking down at her with worry and tears.

"You're awake," Harry said, stating the obvious. He had been the one to greet her sore eyes and part of her couldn't help but he happy that he was the one standing there. She had been so scared, hearing him scream for her, knowing that she may very well be added to the list of people that had died in his lifetime. "I was so-" He cut himself off, inhaling sharply as he closed his eyes.

Reaching up, Hermione wrapped her hand around his shoulder loosely, pulling him down to hug him tightly. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice choked and broken. "I'm sorry," she repeated, unable to explain herself.

"I know," he told her, sobbing against her shoulder. "I understand why you left, why you wrote your goodbye, and why you were so willing to leave us," he breathed, shaking against her. "Six years, Hermione. Six years and believe me when I say I know you better than almost anyone." He held her so tightly, her breathing was rather restricted. "I know you love him, I know you're scared to admit it; to me, to him, to yourself. But bloody hell Mione, if you ever fucking do that to me again..."

Patting his stiff back, she shook her head. "I won't," she promised. "I was just- I couldn't- Not without him-" Tears spilled down from her eyes, wetting the shoulder of his shirt but he still didn't let go. "I never expected to," she told him, quietly. She was rather sure that nobody could hear them, only see that they were both hurting. "For years I saw nothing but my best friend," she said, hiccuping. "But then, one day, it was like I woke up. He was just standing there, like every day before. One moment we're fighting off the spiteful looks of everybody in the school, the next we're engaged, and then I'm trying to find a cure to his killing himself to save me," she cried, her body quivering.

"It's all over," Harry assured her. "Everything is going to get better from here on out."

"Are you sure?" she asked, as he pulled back to look down at her with a lopsided smile.

"It has to," he told her, nodding.

"Move over, Potter," Blaise said, sitting down beside her. "Let the rest of us say hello," he mumbled.

Hermione chuckled, wiping her tears as she sat up somewhat. He smiled at her rather sheepishly, glancing at the two Gryffindor boys who looked slightly apprehensive. She could see the inner battle going on, fighting with himself as to whether or not he should show his real self or fake the Slytherin bastard he used to be. Instead of letting him think it over too much, she pulled him into a hug, which he settled into quickly. Her left hand was still holding on to Draco's tightly, but she could see from her peripheral vision that he was in the same state he had been when she woke up. With a bubble wrapped around his mouth, feeding him his air as he slept, much more peacefully this time.

Blaise's arms tightened on her sides, his hands splayed out over her back. "Promise me that I will never have to wake up to another letter like that," he whispered.

"I promise," she told him, softly. "I just didn't want to go without you knowing certain things," she tried to explain. "You mean so much to me," she told him, her eyes filling with tears once more. "I may already have four, but you are certainly one of my best friends," she told him, chuckling.

"I should hope so," he replied, laughing, though it sounded choked. "After I cause the disappearance of men's genitalia for you, it's only right to place me with the ranks of the other people in your life."

Hermione laughed, shaking her head. "As Headgirl, I should probably be yelling at you for whatever it is you and Draco did to those boys, but alas the stress of the last few days has caused me to forget any admission of guilt to the act regarding said boys."

Sniffling, Blaise rubbed her back before pulling back. "Good, because I hereby retract any admission to guilt," he said, grinning.

Harry had stood up, letting Ron slide in beside her, smiling at her sheepishly. "I don't suppose you'd like another hug. Though I likely won't cry like these other saps," he told her, half-smiling.

Nodding, Hermione opened her arms to her ginger haired best friend, relishing in the fact that he was still her ally and not against her any longer. "I've missed you," she told him.

"Bloody hell, Mione, I was trying not to cry," he mumbled, hugging her tighter.

Feeling his tears touch her neck, she knew that she had caused much more of an emotional breakdown of the people around her with what she had so blindly done. She knew that they were going to be hurt by her goodbye as she set off to kill Draco and then herself. But being so absorbed in her own feelings, she had been rather selfish in thinking that they would eventually make it through. Running her hand over his soft hair, she let him cry against her until he was finished letting her know just how much it had hurt to think that she was willing to leave them all.

Pulling back, he turned his face from her to wipe it clear of emotion. "You gave us all a right scare," he told her, his voice still thick from crying.

"I'm really sorry," she told them all, her eyes running over each of their faces. "I- I fell asleep," she explained, shaking her head as she bit her lip. "And when I woke up, you were all sleeping. I checked our work, finding the same thing over and over. I had to make a decision, I had to do what I had promised to," she told them, inhaling deeply. "But I knew..." Closing here eyes as they built up with tears once more, she clenched her jaw momentarily. "You don't know him like I do," she said, softly. "I've spent every summer with him since I was fifteen. I promised him that I would never leave him and I couldn't bear the thought of being here without him. It was foolish, rash, and selfish. I understand if you're all upset with me, but it was..."

"You and Draco until the end," Luna finished, nodding. "I believe all of us can understand that it our own way," she assured, sitting down on the small cot and patting Hermione's right hand. "After all, the Klaminco has been known to kill itself upon the knowledge of its mate dying immediately. My father says, that whenever a male or female Klaminco realizes that its mate is no longer alive, it forces itself to the mudpit's of Zerbania, where it ducks its head down until it finally drowns."

"Er... Right," Hermione said, before letting out a chuckle at her odd friend. "You are odd, Luna Lovegood, but I wouldn't have you any other way," she said, reaching out to embrace her.

"Thank you Hermione Granger," she said, copying her friends use of her full name. "I quite like your odd behavior too. I mean, really, marmalade on toast. Revolting," she told her, wrinkling her nose.

The group of friends enjoyed a chuckle over the comment of the Ravenclaw girl before falling into a somber silence. Hermione's gaze stayed glued to Draco, watching the rise and fall of his chest. "What's the date?" she asked, her brow furrowing.

"December 8th," Blaise supplied, sighing. "Dumbledore let us stay here with you at least until you woke up, but I'm afraid we're due in class soon."

"I've slept an entire day," she said, her eyes widening with surprise.

"Well, you hardly slept and you were nearly choked to death," Luna reminded, shrugging. "I think you were due for a rest, don't you?"

Hermione nodded, her cheeks flushing. "Has he woken up yet?" she wondered.

Harry shook his head, frowning. "No, he was calling out in his sleep, but that stopped when we placed you beside him," he told her. "He took your hand, but he hasn't opened his eyes. Madame Pomfrey said that often a victim will act out in a coma-like state, calling for someone close to them. She said that he can likely sense the people around him, which is why he was able to take your hand and know it was you. Apparently this settled him down, because he haven't heard a peep from him since."

"Bloody hell Harry, you sound like Hermione after she's researched something," Ron blurted out, cocking his brow.

Clearing his throat, Harry shrugged. "Well, Luna and I stopped at the library to look it up," he admitted. "I wasn't quite sure if Madame Pomfrey had just said that to calm us down or not. She looked like she made it up on spot," he defended.

"What else did she say?" Hermione wondered, feeling worried as they all seemed to turn their faces away.

Sighing, Blaise stared at Draco's still form before turning to her. "He's been coughing up blood," he told her, shaking his head. "I don't know if that's bad in the muggle world, but it's often seen as serious here in the Wizarding world. His parents are lobbying to have him moved to St. Mungo's but Dumbledore has been trying to stop them. If they take him, it's likely that Lucius won't allow him to return," he told her, stiffening. "Madame Pomfrey has been giving him a healing potion for wherever it is that the blood is coming from, and the coughing has lessened. But even she admits that he might need to see a special Healer for the problem."

"They can't pinpoint where the damage is?" she asked, her heartbeat picking up its pace.

Shaking his head, Blaise's shoulders slumped. "They've been giving him blood replenishing potions, but there's only so much you can do until he coughs it all right back up," he said, darkly. "If he doesn't wake up soon, he'll be transferred to St. Mungo's, no matter how much Dumbledore protests."

Somebody cleared their throat in the background, catching the attention of the quiet teenagers. Headmaster Dumbledore stood tall with wisdom outside of their tightknit group. "I see that you have gained consciousness Miss Granger," he said, smiling briefly. "I send my deepest regards at your steady recovery."

"Thank you sir," she replied, nodding.

"I understand that the circumstances are quite hard on you all, but I must press upon the four of you," he said, directing his gaze at her healthy friends, "the necessity of you all returning to classes today. After three days, your professors are beginning to worry about the state of your grades. I can assure you that if there is any change in our young Mr. Malfoy, you will all be contacted immediately. For now though, I ask that you please direct yourselves to the Great Hall for breakfast and then to your days classes."

Nodding, Harry, Luna, Ron, and Blaise each said their goodbyes to Hermione before leaving the Hospital Wing. Dumbledore had not yet exited however, but instead walked up the center of her and Draco's beds. "I'm sure you know what his parents have been asking fo lately."

"They didn't show up when he was suffering through Creaven," she told him, angrily. "What right do they have to try and take him away now?"

"I can understand where your anger comes from, Miss Granger, but I believe Mr. Malfoy is in need of the help of a St. Mungo's healer. He is under a great deal of agony at the moment from what we can tell. As much as I want to keep him from his father's grasp, I must take his health into consideration first."

"I know, sir. I just don't want this all to have been for nothing," she admitted, shaking her head.

"You, my dear girl, have saved him from a fate worse than death. Not to mention the fact that you have indeed caused the potential cure for a very dark curse. Whatever happens from here on in, you have to know that you are truly a brilliant witch. And I have no doubt that Mr. Malfoy is incredibly proud of his fiancé," he told her, a twinkle to his blue eyes.

Looking up sharply, Hermione gaped at him, not realizing that she must have shouted out Draco's memory for her Headmaster to hear. Clearing her throat, she looked around. "Where is Tonks?" she asked, changing the subject.

"It appears that she had been knocked unconscious by Creaven while watching over her, which explains why she was not helping in the struggle that occurred. She has been revived from her head trauma however and is now resting at home."

"Good," Hermione said, nodding.

"Yes," Dumbledore agreed, his eyes resting on Draco for a moment. "I best return to the Great Hall though, as there is an announcement that needs to be absorbed by the students now enjoying their breakfast. Do rest, Miss Granger, these past few days have been quite hectic for you."

"Yes sir," she told him, nodding as he left.

Crawling out of her bed, she promptly made her way over to Draco's. Laying down beside him carefully, Hermione brushed the soft tendrils of his hair of his forehead. His face was still quite pale, the dark shade of his eyelashes seemed to bring out the rings around his eyes even more. Her hand was still wrapped around his right, while his left sat by his side on the white of the sheet covering his form up to his mid-section. Fingering the necklace holding her engagement ring, she felt an overwhelming need to thank it for its huge part in causing realization to hit her. Were it not for Creaven finding the ring, Hermione wouldn't have figured out how to save her best friend.

Sliding up the cot, Hermione rested her head on his shoulder, staring at his half-tipped face. Reaching out, she placed her palm over his heart, while wrapped his arm around her back, resting his hand on her hip. Now that her left hand was free, she ran it over the soft strands covering the pillow behind his head. Lifting it to his face, she trailed her knuckle down his cheek, feeling a rush of happiness when she found his skin was warm.

Her eyes had succumbed to the never-ending tears that plagued her every breath. As her eyes closed, she found she could feel the beating of his heart even more obviously. She ignored all outside noise, focusing solely on the rhythm coursing against her hand. Such a beautiful feeling, knowing that it meant he was alive. After everything, it was only right that he stay alive. There was only seventeen more days until they were to be married, if only he would open his startling silver eyes and tell her it was all going to be okay.

Letting her surroundings come back to her, she could finally hear herself sobbing without restrain against him, her cries echoing in the bare area she lay in. It all bore down on her then; the extreme situation that had taken place seemed to surround her. Death, life, tears, and pain. So much of it packed into the days she had been through. She died, he saved her, she searched for a cure, only to be nearly killed by what had taken him over, and then came out somewhat victorious once more. Part of her had hoped that when she woke, she'd be greeted by his alarmingly handsome grin, while he held her hand tightly, telling her how happy he was to be able to see her alive.

It was then that she realized his arm around her back had tightened, that his hand was grasping her hip and holding her against his side. Inhaling deeply, Hermione lifted her head to look at him, finding the bubble had popped from around his mouth and he was breathing of his own accord. She couldn't understand what had caused his sudden wake from his coma-like state, but she certainly didn't hold back her glee at seeing him.

"It's really not fair to cry on someone who clearly has no way of comforting you," he told her in a cheeky tone.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she shook her head. "You were- I thought- I was so-" Biting her lip, she inhaled sharply. "Oh God, Draco, don't ever leave me again," she sobbed, her arms wrapping around his neck as she embraced him.

"Shh," he whispered into her hair, holding her against his chest as she moved on top of him. His hand ran up and down her back, soothing her shaking body. "It feels so good to be able to hold you," he told her, quietly. "To actually speak to you and know that you're seeing me and not that... thing," he said, sighing. "It was horrible, I was completely trapped. I could only hear some of the things he said to you, or you said to be."

"I almost k-k-killed you," she cried, burrowing her damp face into his neck. "I d-didn't want to, but he- he- he was going to- And I just- Then Dumbledore-" She couldn't seem to say what she so desperately wanted to. If she didn't cut herself off, hysterical hiccuping did it for her. "I was so scared," she admitted, her voice low and shaking.

"I'm okay," he told her, rocking her in his arms. "We're okay."

"They want to take you away," she told him, lifting her head. "You parents; they want to move you to St. Mungo's. You've been coughing up blood and hey can't seem to figure out why or where it's coming from," she explained, shaking her head.

"If Madame Pomfrey can't help me, what makes them think a healer there could?" he asked, cocking his brow.

"I don't know," she said, sighing. Running her hand over her face, she sent him a watery smile. "I must look a fright," she said with a chuckle.

"Quite," he agreed, grinning. "But it's not entirely unflattering," he said, with a shrug as she slapped him with a frown, playfully. "The tears give your cheeks an extra rosy colour," he told her, lifting his palm to cup her face. "You've also been biting at your lip, because it's much more plump than usual," he explained, his hand falling to run his thumb over her mouth. "And then there's your eyes," he said, the tips of his fingers running under each. "Which are full of possibly every emotion I think I've ever seen from you." Smirking, he sighed. "Obviously lust is the more dominant feeling, because if you haven't noticed, you are straddling my waist at the moment," he reminded.

Blushing, Hermione cleared her throat before simply shrugging. "Well, when you find me lying in a bed after such a traumatic event, I will let you do he same. I'm obviously more strong willed than you think, as I can handle my 'lust' as you've so grandly named it," she told him, leaning back down to hold him.

"I missed you," he told her, cradling her close. "It felt like I had been there forever and all I wanted to do was... talk to you or see you," he admitted, shaking his head before he rested it atop her hair.

"Draco," Hermione said, her mouth falling open and then closing. "There's something I wanted to tell you."

"What's that?" he asked, tipping his chin down so he was staring into her eyes.

"Well, I've know something for awhile, but I was never able to tell you. With everything that's been happening lately, I wasn't sure how to tell you. You might not really like what I have to say, but I think it needs to be said." He stiffened beside her and he swallowed as he stared down at her with an expression she was sure to be fear. Inhaling deeply, she finally decided to tell him what she had been hiding for some time. "I lo-"

Before she could finish, the doors opened to reveal Lucius Malfoy as he strode across the Hospital Wing to stop at the end of Draco's bed. Not far behind him was an elegant woman with long blonde hair, reaching to her waist. Her face was impassive, showing no real emotion as she stared down at Draco and Hermione while they held each other tightly in the small cot. Swathed in a black gown, she stood a step behind Lucius, her gloved hands clasped in front of her.

"I hadn't realized you were awake," Lucius said, his mouth curling with disgust. "I had hoped this would go quickly, without interruption."

"Gee, Father, I'm so glad you could come to visit," Draco drawled, a faint frown resting on his lips. "Perhaps next time you get word of me laying injured, you could just send your _lovely _bastard of an owl with a simple Get Well card," he suggested, sneering.

Sighing with annoyance, Lucius cocked an eyebrow at him. "Let go of the mudblood Draco," he told him, simply. "You will be leaving for St. Mungo's today. Upon diagnosis and after receiving treatment, you will then return to Malfoy Manor until I see it fit for you to return to school," he told him, briskly.

"No," Draco replied, his eyes darkening. "I think I'll stay here, let Madame Pomfrey have another look 'round to see if there's anything she can do. Then, if I for some unnatural reason feel the need to return home, I might do so. But I really don't that will be happening any time in the near future," he told him, in a low growl.

"I have no time for you pathetic games," Lucius drawled with a sigh. "Let go of your filthy girlfriend and get yourself ready to go. Don't make me force you, son."

"I don't think you were listening," Draco said, frowning. "Because I seem to remember saying that I _wasn't_ going."

Exasperated, Lucius crossed the room and took hold of Hermione's arm before he ripped her away from a very shocked and angry Draco. "If I have to repeat myself, you will be attending a funeral before the week is out. Do I make myself clear?"

Gulping, Draco stared from his father back to Hermione who was grimacing at the man now holding her rather painfully by her upper arm. "Let her go," he said, sitting up rather quickly and trying to hide the wince that ran across his face. Before he could stop himself, he coughed, sending a spatter of blood over the white sheets covering his legs.

Hermione heard a sharp gasp and turned to see Draco's mother lifting one of her hands to cover her mouth. She stared down at Draco as he breathed heavily and moved to wipe the red liquid from his mouth. Almost as quickly as she had shown emotion, Narcissa Malfoy covered it up with indifference. Her gaze, however, moved over to Hermione, piercing her. Hermione's eyes stared back, noticing a gleam of shock cross the woman's features. Looking down, she realized that the engagement ring she wore around her neck was hanging out of her shirt, free to be seen. Moving swiftly, she hid it, her eyes lifting to stare at Narcissa with fear. She was shocked almost to the point of gasping when she noticed a faint smile pass over the woman's mouth.

"Get yourself together Draco," Lucius spat, obviously angry that his son had not only disobeyed him, but coughed up blood in his presence. He acted as if were some kind of crime to show weakness and Hermione couldn't help but wince as the man's grip tightened around her arm. "I want you dressed and ready to go. I have a meeting to attend, so we'll be dropping you at St. Mungo's on the way."

Draco, still breathing heavily, sneered at his father before turning his silver gaze on Hermione. They passed a silent agreement along to each other before he stood to do as his father said. She watched with obvious worry as he found a folded shirt on the table beside his cot and slipped it on. There was a pair of shoes and socks lying near the bed that he put on before trying his best to stand tall as he glared at his father. "Now let her go," he growled.

Sighing, Lucius practically pushed Hermione away from him. "Why you continue to care, I can never understand." Shaking his head, he turned to pierce her with a look of disgust. Walking around the cot, he seized Draco's arm, dragging him from the room, with Narcissa trailing behind them. She glanced back once more, staring at Hermione for a moment before regaining her look of indifference.

Draco turned to her, trying his best to smile. Hermione slumped to the bed behind her, closing her eyes as the doors closed in the distance. While he would likely live, there was no telling what Lucius would do when he got him home. She had to find a way to stop him from returning to Malfoy Manor. She had to find a way to get him away from Lucius as soon as possible. But what could she do? Her mind ran with questions; everything had changed so quickly, so abruptly. She couldn't let it all come to an end like this; they had plans. She wasn't about to give it all up just because his father was a right git that caused the turmoil in the first place. She had to come up with a plan.

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**A/N**_ **SORRY**! I didn't mean to leave it for so long. I'm working on **BITTT** too, so no worries my lovely readers, I will have more for it also. I can't say much as it is quite late and I'm very tired. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it's quite long. Thanks for reading, please review; as it is very appreciated._

_Much Love,  
-**Amanda**_


	21. A Father's Hate

Review offering insight to the story:

"_I really like this story; you managed to keep in control the emotions of the characters so that they weren't drowning the reader. You went into detail of emotion when necessary and kept it to minimum when it was just a regular day. I love this story so much I want you to hurry up and write the next chapter. This is the second submit review I have ever written about any fanfiction EVER! I usually don't feel the need to write them although there are lot of the fanfictions that have mistakes in them. This story has a lot of originality and that is something I always admire in any form of a story. It always makes a good impression on me from the start_." - **_Maddie_** of FanFiction net.

**Thank you so much to the following reviewers of** _Chapter Nineteen_ **- _Repercussions_:** _Snuffles Is My Idol o.O, niic smiles, eolcin8688, pinkwands, Logan's Princess, scooterrg, Aria DeLoncray, tom's a hottie, Kait-Lynn23, Amatheriel, Caligirl-HPLVR, ayruh, Michelle Felton, draco's-socerstar, bethygirl94, Kathleen, CharmedLife19, Kitsune Kida, sandpaw, Blackonyx21, purplecrazy2291, evelynhalfmoon, Sam's Firefly, Mrs. St. John Allerdyce, itachi-sama a.k.a cathrun, **ProwlingKitKat, PiperPaigePhoebe01, aniesmiles, cle be, Jennifer-Marie, mskiti, mskairijade, HelloLonely, Zarroc, Secret Thought, Maddie** _and_ especially **Princess de la Plume, kie-san, Feltonluver4eva,** _and_** galloping-goose.**_

**Growing**

Chapter Twenty

A Father's Hate

Draco found himself in a train car, across from his father and mother, headed to London. Apparently he was too ill to floo or apparate, so they were taking the train over, where he would then be admitted to St. Mungo's until a healer had deduced what was wrong with him. He had a pretty good idea, given that a demon had possessed him for the better part of a week, trying to use him for world domination until his fiancé banished him from his body. It didn't look like that was going to go over well with his parents or the healer, so he chose to keep his mouth shut. He did his best ignore the angry muttering's of his father and the curious gaze of his mother, but he found it rather hard given he was stuck in a small seating area with just the two of them for a number of hours.

He held a thick white handkerchief in his hand, ready to catch any blood that might appear from his coughing fits. He wasn't strong enough to put up with his father's mutinous gaze, let alone his angry attacks on him. He tried his best to keep his coughing quiet and always hid the bloody remains before Lucius could react. His eyes were set outside, watching the scenery whiz by without interest. He wished he was back at the school, lying comfortably in Hermione's arms as she told him of the homework she had missed and how hard she was going to have to work to catch up. He would be smiling with amusement, considering he knew that she would have no trouble writing a few assignments up in the time allotted after the ordeal they had been put through.

Hermione's warm smile flittered through his mind, warming his insides. Years ago all that would've come along with that grin was a never-ending sensation of friendship. He could stare at her smile for a lifetime, content in the knowledge that she would never leave him behind. Whether or not she loved him like he did her, she would always be right there to help him through things. This of course was not an entirely good thing, given the circumstances. He could already see the inner workings of her mind the second Lucius stated that he would be leaving the school; she was going to come up with a plan to stop him from being removed from school for too long. She would let him stay at St. Mungo's, but he could see the defiance in her eyes at him returning to Malfoy Manor.

During their summers together, he wasn't the only one who protested his return home, she often agreed that he shouldn't have to go. The only problem was, they only had each other to talk to about it. Jane and Henry knew some of his home life, but he had never gone into full detail; be it out of shame or worry over what they might do if they found out, he didn't know. His parents obviously had no idea where he had been during those visits, and as far as he knew nobody else had either. So it wasn't as if he could write a letter to his father telling him he didn't want to return, he'd rather live a muggle life with the Granger's. While he had wished and prayed for the summers to never end, he never received his wish. He always had to return; to the hate, the pain, the sadness that awaited him. He'd have to stand and take it all, like the good Malfoy heir.

"You're thinking of _her_, aren't you?" his father's voice snarled, angrily.

Turning to him, Draco immediately covered the worried expression he knew was present on his face. "Thinking of who?" he replied, rather rudely.

"Don't take that tone with me, Draco," Lucius warned, his eyes glinting.

"Or what?" he muttered, under his breath. He knew in some part of him that this was a stupid thing to say, but there was a defiant voice, that sounded curiously like Blaise's, telling him he should say what he really thought. If he were in better health, he couldn't help but think that maybe he stood a chance against the man who had savagely ruled over him for so long.

Apparently he had spoken louder than he thought, or perhaps his father had better hearing than he remembered. All he knew was the sharp back hand that hit his face, jarred his head so much that he hit the window with a thick thud. There was a sharp gasp which he thought was his mother, but it was quickly ignored when he realized his father was standing up over him, sneering down.

"I raised you, Draco," he spat, venomously. "I don't remember their being a lesson on shagging your filthy adversary," he told him, darkly.

Clenching his jaw, Draco stared up at his with angry eyes. "Perhaps your memory is waning in your old age, because I could've sworn it was somewhere between hating Potter for his power and groveling at Voldemort's dirty feet," he shot back. Out of his peripheral vision he noticed his mother wince and then close her eyes before turning away quickly.

Another much more painful blow collided with his head, but after hitting the wall, he had hardly any time to react before his father's cane was pressed against his throat. He looked down at it for a moment, realizing he couldn't breathe and hoping it wouldn't start another coughing fit. His eyes darted back up to his father, staring at him with a flicker or fear which he turned into a sneer of anger toward him. Lucius seemed to stare at him, as if searching for something in his eyes, before he finally let him go. Draco had been right in his assumption of what the cane might cause and he found himself bowled over, not just coughing blood up but now vomiting the dark liquid too.

Breathing heavily, he wiped at his mouth, feeling his body slump with weakness. Someone vanished the contents of his body out from beneath him which he was thankful for, as he passed out in the spot where he had thrown up just seconds after seeing it disappear. Lost in his dark mind, he felt the overwhelming fear that had been induced when Creaven stole his body from him. His mind told him that he was just exhausted, while a much darker voice told him not to stay asleep too long. He was not in control however, as his mind soon swathed him in a dream

The chapel was covered in sheer, gleaming white curtains, hanging all around elegantly. Pale pink and white roses were collected in expensive bouquets sitting on each pew, though the few people who were in attendance had gathered near the front. He turned at the hand on his shoulder, smiling briefly at the pastor who held a book in his hands, nodding encouragingly at him. To his left was Blaise, wearing sharp black robes, and a warm smile on his face. Glancing at the front pew, he could see Ron Weasley fiddling with his robes, looking rather bored. Jane sat beside him, chastising him on his squirming, which he blushed at before returning to his uncomfortable shifting.

Across from them, in the other front pew, sat their Headmaster Dumbledore, which Draco briefly wondered about the appearance of. McGonagall sat beside him, smiling and pressing a handkerchief to her teary eyes. "I told you," she said, nodding. "I told you they'd be the first to try and secretly marry!"

To Dumbledore's right was professor Snape, an annoyed expression on his face. "There's still time for them to blow the school up," he reminded. "Wait until their first fight as husband and wife and you'll see I was right in my prediction!"

Draco returned his attention to where Jane and Ron were, smiling at the woman who had been like a mother to him for the past three years. He was mildly shocked however, when he found his real mother sitting beside Jane. Her expression was one to be contemplated, as she wasn't smiling, but she wasn't sad or upset either. She simply sat, watching her son and clasping her hands in her lap. He wasn't surprised to see that his father was nowhere in sight, nor that it didn't bother him in the least.

Potter emerged from the back, holding Luna's hand as he slowly walked her toward her spot as maid of honor. After leaving her behind, he turned to smile and nod shortly to Draco and then took his place on the other side of Ron, leaning over to say something privately. Draco couldn't help but feel rather happy that Hermione's best friends were there; though he wasn't on the best terms with Weasley, he got along civilly with Potter.

His breath caught as she stepped out, her father held her hand, whispering things down to her with a happy grin. He suddenly had the urge to run; not away, but to her. To simply pick her up in his arms and simply hold her for awhile. He couldn't explain this feeling as they were about to get married and really, he would have the rest of his life to do so. But there was a voice calling to him in the back of his mind, telling him he had to run now. Shouting at him that he had to get to her, to take her in his arms. His feet wouldn't move however, and he was only comforted in the fact that hers could and she would soon be standing in front of him.

He could see her through her veil, an excited but rather nervous smile on her face. Her beautiful, warm brown eyes sparkled out at him, with their usual mirth. Her father lifted the veil, pushing it back over her softly curled hair, kissing her cheek before he held her hand out for Draco to take. As he reached however, his fingers just inches from hers, the back doors burst open.

Numerous people dressed in black robes, wearing sinister white masks came running forth, their wands drawn. Draco felt time slow down, fear gripping his heart. He glanced back at Blaise, worried about what was to happen now. He found his best friend stuffing his hand into his robes quickly extracting his wand, a look of anger and readied defiance crossed his face. It was almost as if he knew this was going to happen and he had planned to fight for his friends.

Turning back, Draco's eyes scanned the crowd of family, friends, and professors, watching as they all rose from the pews, their wands drawn. Jane and Henry had been ushered away by Ron, who was trying to push them to safety. Harry had a twisted expression of anger on his features, looking thoroughly pissed that his best friend's moment had been ruined. All three professors were both worried and ready it appeared as they began working their way toward the Death Eaters.

Hermione who was unarmed, looked around worried, before dropping her small bouquet of flowers on the floor and turning to Draco. His hand was still held out to her, a streak of panic pierced his heart as he knew that this was an attack on them from his father; somehow Lucius had found out. His fingers brushed hers, his feet surged forward as if to run to her. He needed to get her out of harms way, needed to hide her somewhere until everything was over.

Just as he was close enough to clasp her hand, she pitched forward, a bleak look crossing her face. Her eyes lost all life as she began falling; her skin immediately paled, and he knew the green light that had surrounded her was the death curse hitting its mark. His arms wrapped around her, while his legs gave out. He cradled her against him, his mouth falling open to scream, "NOOO!"

All eyes had turned on him, his friends, his family all watching as he held her while shuddering and shaking his head. The fighting seemed to cease as everyone watched him, stroking her hair and holding her tightly. The Granger's slipped out of their covered position, their eyes wide and their mouths covered. Harry had let his arm fall, his face shifting to stare at his best friend as she lay lifeless in her fiance's arms. Ron had walked forward, suddenly losing all concentration on the fight that had ensued. Even the professors had forgotten what they were doing, only to look down at Draco as he held Hermione.

Draco looked up, a surge of hate running through him for the men across from him. Before he could do anything though, he had to witness the Death Eater's coming to their senses. A haze of green light assaulted his eyes, and he watched as Snape, Dumbledore, and McGonagall fell to the ground, dead. Not a moment later, Weasley and Potter had found themselves in the way of the **Avada **curse, both dying instantly. Blaise had been valiantly fighting his way up the center, only to be thrown back painfully, sitting up to fight again, just to watch the sickly curse hit him square in the eyes. It was only him and the Granger's now, but they would leave him too. Both being killed by none other than his father, who they looked up to see smiling at them in a sinister manner.

Time caught up to normal with Lucius kneeling then, his hand wrapping around Draco's face as he stared into his son's crying silver eyes. "You're pathetic," he told him, sneering. "You cry for them, when they are worth nothing." His hand wrapped around Hermione's hair, lifting her limp head from Draco's chest. He made a slashing motion, to Draco's terrified shock; slicing her head from her beautiful body. Lifting it up, he smirked as the blood fell to mar her white wedding dress, dripping over Draco's arms, still warm. "This will make a nice trophy," he told him, maliciously.

Draco felt his heart stop, a delirious rage boiling up in him. His hand slipped into his robes, searching for the tool that would kill his vicious father once and for all. Lucius stared down at him, laughing vindictively, a smirk playing over his lips. He simply shook his head at him, amused at his agonized fury.

"Draco," a voice called, soft and almost sweet. "Draco, wake up," the woman called again.

Forcing his eyes open, he found himself staring at his mother, a curious expression on her face. Groaning, he felt as if his entire body had been beaten bloody. His eyes glanced around, searching for the man who haunted him both awake and asleep.

"He's gone for a drink," she informed him. "You were calling out for her," she explained. "I thought it was best if he didn't hear you. Since he'll be back soon, I woke you."

Draco stared at her a moment, surprised at her thoughtfulness. "Thank you," he said, his voice coming out scratchy.

She simply nodded before returning to her seat and directing her gaze out the window.

Pushing himself up, he leaned back against the seat, keep his back as straight as possible. He remembered growing up when Lucius used to hit him with his cane if he slumped. There was too much pain already, he didn't want to add to it. Both mentally and physically, he was anguished with what had happened. It was a huge fear of his that his father would find out about the wedding and do something like in his nightmare to ruin everything. Not just mess up their wedding though, but actually cause the demise of those who mattered.

His mind begged the question of why certain people had been at his wedding; the Granger's wouldn't be able to, and he had no reason to think any of the professors knew about their engagement, let alone had been invited to the wedding. It was understandable that Luna, Blaise, Ron, and Harry were there; they were assumed guests. But Narcissa, she certainly wasn't part of the plan; in fact, Draco hadn't spared her a thought except to use her family heirloom as Hermione's engagement ring.

He could see the horrific scene playing out in front of his eyes over and over again; the gleam of green as everyone was killed. Hermione's warm eyes turning lifeless as she fell limply from the air. He could feel her in his arms, no longer breathing and without a future ahead of her. Then the sharp movement of his father's wand, decapitating her as it were some amusing joke that they'd laugh about later over dinner. He could feel her blood wetting his robes until it marred his skin. The way the white fabric absorbed the sustenance that was her blood kept playing out in his mind's eyes, forcing him to hold back the bile rising in his throat.

"How are you feeling?" Narcissa asked, flatly..

Glancing at her, Draco frowned slightly. It wasn't like her to pay attention to him, even if Lucius wasn't present. "Fine," he replied, with an equally flat tone.

"People who are fine don't cough up blood," she reminded, lifting a perfectly shaped brow. "Nor do they spasm while they sleep, calling out for their fiances while burning up."

Annoyed, Draco turned around to tell her that she needn't worry, as she was so good at it in the past. "I-" He stopped as soon as the weight of her words hit him. "I thought you said I was calling out for Hermione," he tried to cover.

"You were," she agreed, nodding slowly, her eyes never leaving his.

"But you just claimed I was calling out for my _fiancé_, we both know that father has chosen Parkinson for that role," he reminded, staring at her through thin eyes.

"True," she said, nodding. "But then, why was Hermione wearing my family ring around her neck," she queried, already knowing the answer. Her blue eyes stared straight into his, unwavering.

Draco could hear his heart pounding in his ears; it was as if his nightmare was about to come true. She would tell his father and even if he managed to escape back to school, Lucius would surely stop any marriage and likely kill his bride. His mouth went dry and he tried to come up with some kind of excuse; any kind of explanation other than the truth. His mind grasped at thin air, finding no reason for his best friend to be wearing a ring meant only for his future wife.

"I told you to give that to the person you wish to spend the rest of your life with," she reminded, her tone emotionless.

Swallowing, Draco nodded, staring at her. "I did," he replied.

Before she could say another word, Lucius returned to their car, sparing an annoyed glance at Draco before he sat down beside his wife. "Awake I see," he commented, glowering. "Good, I've been meaning you speak with you about something."

Inhaling deeply, Draco turned to him. "I'm guessing this won't be a meaningless talk about the weather," he replied, snidely.

"You guess correct," Lucius replied, through his grit teeth. A fake smile crossed his features, worrying Draco. "How are Henry and Jane Granger, Draco?" he wondered, his brows lifting with question. "I bet they were happy to see you, after all, they only had the entire summer with you."

Draco's breath caught as his eyes rose to stare at him, his heart beating out of his chest. "What?" he breathed, his tone dangerously low.

His father laughed then, short but with meaning. "You didn't honestly think I had no idea what you had been up to, did you?" he asked, cocking his brow. "That first week, back before your fifth year, I decided I would let you go, in hopes that you would realize just how horrible that mudblood and the muggle filth she lived with really was." Sneering, he shook his head quickly. "To my utter disgust you ended up taking a liking to them. All the proof I needed was in the many photographs I had taken of you and that bitch you had yourself glued to."

Draco's mind was whirling with the new information. So it was Lucius who had someone tailing their every move, capturing every moment they spent together. Did that mean he was the one who had broken out with news of their friendship? But what sense does that make? It would only make him look bad; just speaking about it makes him angry, why would he want anyone else to know. If it wasn't him, then it must've been the photographer; how was he going to find out who that was?

"He would return with this evidence of you getting closer and closer to those despicable muggles. He would overhear conversations, listening in on private affairs." Shaking his head, he glared at his son viciously. "He brought news of how you had a few slips of the tongue; calling him dad, and her mum," he spat, disgustedly. "I have hundreds of pictures involving you and that mudblood trash, holding hands, dancing, hugging. How could you do that?" he wondered, sneering. "How could you touch her at all? With her tainted blood!"

"It had nothing to do with blood," Draco burst out, his shoulders tensed with anger. "Merlin, you are so completely blind about the whole situation."

"Then _do_ enlighten me, son," Lucius told him, snarling.

"She was there," he shouted, his eyes wide. "_They_ were there; the Granger's took me in and told me that I wasn't some worthless kid who got in the way. They never stared at me as if they were waiting for me to grow up and become something I'm not. They accepted me as is and they never once told me that I had to stop being me. They didn't hit me or yell at me or beat it into my head that I had to be an heir, a proper pureblood, or any of that," he yelled, shaking his head. "They loved me! Me! Not Malfoy; not the money or the name. Just me!"

"Quiet yourself," Lucius commanded, losing his temper.

"No," Draco told him, clenching his jaw momentarily. "You asked, so I'll tell you. You want to know how I can touch her, how I can stand being around her?" he wondered, tipping his head. "All you would have to do is spend five minutes in her presence and you would experience euphoria. She is nothing less than the most incredible girl I have ever know," he admitted, his breath catching for a moment. "Not only is she the brightest witch alive, but she's completely perfect in every possible way. Even back when she had bushy hair and her nose glued to books," he said with a chuckle.

Becoming serious, he stared at his father with dark eyes. "When nobody else could understand me, she sat there waiting until I would explain it all. She listened when nobody else cared to ask; everybody assumed I was this horrible, insensitive prat. Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius in every way. Well, I wasn't. And she was the only one to get that. She didn't care that I was a pureblood, she didn't care that I was the heir to the Malfoy galleons. All she wanted was friendship, and who I was to deny her the very thing I had been searching for?

Swallowing, he shook his head, blinking furiously. "The things she says, the voice she says them with, all of her is beautiful. I don't care if she has _dirty_ blood, or if she's not up to your standards. She's my best friend and she has been for three years. And you can yell at me, hit me if you want to, but I'm not giving her up. Fuck, I've been in love with her for too long for you to just snap your fingers and wish it gone," he snapped.

He realized far too late that perhaps he had revealed too much. Friendship was one thing, but to say that he was in love with a person who was set against all that his father stood for, was far different. He could feel the air in the car go cold, could see the way his father's face had paled and yet his eyes had taken on a nasty dark gleam. Lucius' hand tightened around his cane; Draco could almost hear it whine under the pressure. His mother was silent, staring at him with an unreadable expression.

"Love? Draco, I thought I taught you better," Lucius replied, snidely. "She's not here, son. Why don't you do us all a favor, and simply admit that you're using her as nothing but a playtoy? Many a man has fallen to the whim of a women whose flirtatious behavior got the best of them," he assured, amused. "You are but a seventeen year old boy with raging hormones Draco, you know nothing of what you call love."

"I know more than you," Draco replied, thickly.

Lucius' eyes flicked up to his, an angry glow surrounding his silver orbs. "Is that so?"

"It is," he told him, nodding.

His father sighed then, sounding exasperated. "After all those years of teaching you, this is what you've become."

"You should be proud," he said, smirking slightly. "I probably know more about the Dark Arts than any _other_ supporter of the Light side," he reminded. "All thanks to you, I now have an extensive knowledge of every dark curse, spell, and hex known to the Wizarding world. It should come in quite handy while we fight against your Dark Lord."

"Don't get too smug, Draco," Lucius warned. "Tragedies have fallen upon those who become carelessly self absorbed."

"I'm only stating facts," he replied, nodding. "It must truly bother you that you worked so hard to make me into someone like yourself, but I turned out to be the complete opposite."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," his father said, smirking. "I wasn't the spitting image of my father when I was your age, but I grew to understand my place," he told him, lifting his chin to make it more obvious as he stared down his nose at him. "As will you."

"I strongly disagree," Draco said, his eyes thinning.

Standing up, Lucius shook his head shortly. "Nobody asked your opinion." Before Draco could reply, his father had struck him hard across the cheek with his thick cane, leaving an open gash across the pale skin of his face. Wrapping his hand around Draco's jaw, he turned his head up so they were staring each other down. "Know this, Draco," Lucius told him, his voice dangerous. "You will always be my son, whether you want to or not. Meaning you will always obey the rules set down for you, or you shall dearly pay for your mistakes." Sneering, he glared down at him. "And remember, my _dear_ son, whether you know it or not, I always know what you are doing, and with whom. She will not live through this War, I can promise you that. You will never have your happy ending with that mudblood whore, and I will _not_ allow this humiliation to continue."

"You shouldn't make promises that I will undoubtedly stop," Draco retorted. "When you are sitting away in Azkaban, after your Dark Lord had been defeated, I will be living the good life. With blonde, brown eyed children, sporting the last name Malfoy, but only half the pure blood you so desperately cling to."

He was really only saying most of these things to make his father angrier; he knew he should stop, should refrain from pissing him off further, but he was incapable. He had no idea if it was the fact that his fever had spiked, causing him to throw caution to the wind, or perhaps he was just too tired to act civilized with a man who had ruined him for most of his life. All he knew, was that his mouth was running off and his father was slowly becoming more murderous by the minute.

"You were always too mouthy for your own good, Draco," Lucius told him, sneering. "Smart remarks hang from the tip of your tongue, waiting to be handed out at the most inopportune moments. It only digs you deeper into the pit you've already created for yourself. You hide your fear well though, I must admit. For a moment there, I actually believed you thought you were strong enough to live out your life without me to command you." Shaking his head, he smirked with amusement. "Remember something son, you are nothing but a puppet. You were raised as one and you will always be one. You're ridiculous little girlfriend can't change that; not with her innocuous feelings, nor her insipid words of condolence." Cocking his brow, he looked down on him as his usual stance commanded. "Throw all the tantrums you like, when this War comes to a head, she will lie dead and you will take your rightful place with the Death Eaters."

"It must be a Malfoy trait, as you seem to have a sharp tongue yourself. Always at the ready to throw out meaningless remarks about peoples lives and the dictatorship in which you believe you rule it with. I seem to remember there being a few moments in my life where you weren't in control of my actions. Oh that's right, it was when I was away from home, living with the Granger's. Yes," he said, snidely nodding. "When you had to have some poor chap trailing along behind the son you couldn't simply lock away in the house until he bowed down to your ruling." Sighing, Draco shrugged his shoulders. "Well, what can you do when a person grows a mind of their own really? Except leave them the fuck alone," he snapped.

His throat began to itch and he was forced to pull the handkerchief from his coat, lifting it to his mouth as he knew another spasm of coughing was about to envelop him. Lucius watched him for a moment, his eyes thinned as he thought deeply. Suddenly, as Draco felt the first wave of coughs about to emerge, his fathers hand flew out, pressing the handkerchief tight around his mouth and nose and pushing him painfully into the wall. Draco was unable to breath and the blood began filling his mouth, causing him to choke. As his eyes widened and his chest heaved, he lifted his hands in hopes that he would be able to push Lucius from him, even for just a moment. All he needed was enough time to spit out the blood that filled his throat and mouth, thickening and clogging his airway as it built up. He was far too weak however, his long winded shouting and his fever had broken him down. He stared up at Lucius, his eyes beginning to darken and his heart slowing.

Then, he felt his mouth drop open and the cold air press against it. Falling to the side, slumping on the seat, he coughed up the blood that had clogged his breathing. It spilled from his mouth, dripping to the dusty floor as his head and chest heaved sideways. Kneeling beside him, Lucius sneered at the blood dripping from his son's lips.

"Death is nothing to fear, Draco," he told him, darkly. "If you can't handle your own, how will you survive when you find she has been reduced to nothing but a limp body?" he wondered. His hand curled around Draco's hair, lifting his head from the seat. He stared at him with murderous dark eyes. "She will not last to Christmas, son." Shaking his head, he sneered at him. "You brought this upon yourself." Dropping his head, Lucius returned to his seat beside Narcissa, turning his face to look out the at the scenery as night fell upon them.

Draco found he had released all of the copper tasting liquid from his throat and mouth, but still his chest ached. His eyes were burning, tears mingling with the sweat slipping from his overheated body hit his eyes intensely. His heart constricted; he should've shut up earlier. He shouldn't have said anything at all; he didn't have to prove himself to Lucius, and still he found it was as if he needed to explain the nature of his relationship with both Hermione and her parents. He blamed his poor health for his moment of insanity, but couldn't help but think he had always wanted to say those words to his father. He only wished he hadn't caused the ultimate attack on Hermione, as he worried whether or not his dream was just a nightmare or a vision of what was to come, sans certain people that is.

As his chest rose and fell quickly, his eyes darted up to his mother's still form. She stared down at him, her blue eyes looking almost pitying, but lacking enough emotion to truly make it such; to show any feeling towards her son. Her body was stiff, almost statuesque in her perfected form of the obedient, silent wife. These were the moments where he wished she could be like Jane; where she would hold him, stroking his hair, and promise him that it would all be okay. But she wasn't Jane, she didn't care, and nothing was going to be all right. He could tell from his father's brooding stance that what he said hadn't been an empty threat; he was planning something, and it was big. Now all Draco had to do was get himself back into top form and find a way to save both himself and his best friend.

If there was one event he planned on living to, it was his wedding to Hermione. Even if he only lived an hour after it transpired, that would be one hour of perfection that would allow him to die happy. His eyes fell closed then, he only hoped his dreams would turn out better this time around. Perhaps something involving just him, Hermione, and a honeymoon. No Death Eaters involved.

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**A/N** _Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it was rather enjoyable to write. Sorry I haven't updated as often as I usually do. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten any of my stories. Though I do have another in mind. I would like to know if any of you are Harry/Hermione shippers as that would be the main ship of another story I'm considering. I don't think I'll start it until after I've at least finished **BITTT** though. _

There's another chapter up on** Summer Haven,** so for those of you who are waiting until ther were a few chapters, this bring the count up to, well, three, lol. I'll be writing more on that soon, as I know it's not funny having to read only one or two chapters, really getting into it, and then realizing you have to wait a long while for more. I'll likely have another chapter to this up befor **BITTT**, but I'll updatte it soon too!

Thank you all for reading, please review as it is very appreciated.

Much Love,  
**-Amanda**


	22. Hidden, But There

**Review offering insight to the story**:

"_When Draco was yelling at his dad, I could just see his face and hear the tone of his voice and the complete anger and hate that surged through him. I think that you are one of, if not the, best writers I have had the pleasure of reading. You should write your own book and have it published. I would totally buy it! I love reading things by really great authors because it is like watching TV in your head except better because you get more detail, more depth, more backround, and even more. This story is my absolute favorite(!) fanfiction (and ive read a ton!). I hope this review inspired you to keep on being as great and wonderful as you already are_." - _**purplecrazy2291**_ (**_Malena_**) of FanFiction net.

**Thank you to the following reviewers of** _Chapter Twenty_ -_** A Father's Hate**_: _, Sam's Firefly, bethygirl94, HermionexDracoshipper, Caligirl-HPLVR, LadyBrianna, smileenov, Mrs. St. John Allerdyce, Weaselbee, Kait-Lynn23, nutte, anie smiles, niic smiles, Jennifer-Marie, cle be, Aria DeLoncray, dracos-soccerstar, mskairijade, CharmedLife19, Odi et amo., itachi-sama aka cathrun, **ClassicPairsShipper, HSW**, **Zarroc, purplecrazy2291, jk rowling the 2nd, Phoenix Flame01, HelloLonely, Hyuga Kyuuketsuki, mskiti, **_and _especially **Princess de la Plume, PiperPaigePhoebe01, kie-san, **_and**_ galloping-goose._**

**Dedicated to:_ Hyuga Kyuuketsuki_**_ (male! -chuckles-), for being a wonderful reader and faithful reviewer!  
I always love hearing that you've hugged the computer screen! lol.  
Hope you enjoy this chapter and all there is to come.  
Much Love,  
_**Amanda**

_**Growing**_

_Chapter Twenty-One_

_Hidden, But There_

It had been seven days since Draco's parents had whisked him off to St. Mungo's, while Hermione paced her common room in deep thought. She knew she had to get him out of the hospital, but she had to be sure he was in proper shape to be broken out. If he was still suffering from coughing up blood, then her plan to get him away would end in disaster. She had no idea how to find out, however; as Jasper had been murdered senselessly and even if she had an owl, there was no promise that Lucius wouldn't stop it from reaching Draco. Her mind was whirling with questions, but she had no answers, only worries.

On top of figuring out an escape plan for Draco, Hermione had been privy to the knowledge that none of her journal entries had been handed out while she was helping her best friend. However, while this may appear as good news, she believed the only reason there hadn't been an outbreak of her journal was because whoever was sending them had hoped to embarrass her and would not get the desired effect were she not there to know. Sadly though, their hard work in getting the last journal entry from everyone had fallen through. The school was now knowledgeable in how Hermione believed Harry was hiding his true feelings for Luna by dating Ginny, and then the much more embarrassing moment where Hermione walked in on Draco enjoying himself a little vigorously in the spare bedroom one night. Exasperated with the attention she was receiving for such a revealing entry, she tried her best to ignore anyone who wasn't her four best friends.

Then, despite her many attempts to speak to Dumbledore about his possible help in retrieving Draco, she found that he was "unreachable," or at least that's what every professor had to say to her when she asked. It was beginning to frustrate her to no end, and she wasn't sure if she was thinking rationally anymore. Nobody seemed ready or willing to help her in her plan to get Draco out of St. Mungo's. Blaise had agreed to do anything she needed him to, but he couldn't risk being seen by Lucius; if he was, then his mother would likely be punished for his insolence. Meaning Voldemort would see Blaise as a traitor and Blaise's mother would either be violently killed or at the very least tortured into insanity. Ron, though he had come back to being her best friend, wasn't exactly up for a Save Malfoy adventure. Harry had voiced his uncertainty on breaking into St. Mungo's and yanking Draco out, focusing more on the fact that even if they did break him out, Lucius would just come back and retrieve him. Hermione knew this; she had gone over every aspect to the most minute detail, but still she was adamant. Luna, on the other hand, had agreed to come along in any act to help Draco, which Hermione was grateful for. However, the Ravenclaw had been in short demand lately; having been shunned by most of the school, as they had all decided she was moving in on Ginny's boyfriend, Luna had taken to hiding out whenever she could.

Hermione wasn't giving up though, she had figured out a plan to get him free, it was the aftershock of what she would do that worried her. All she had to do was get to Hogsmeade, which was easy enough given the secret passageways she knew of. From there, she would apparate to London, in front of St. Mungo's as there were wards up against apparating for the safety of patients. Then, using Harry's cloak, which she would have to steal if he didn't agree to hand over, she would sneak her way to Draco's room, as she was sure it would be guarded and cut off from visitors. Upon getting into the room, she would then stun anyone who was present, take Draco under the cloak, get outside safely, and they would apparate back to Hogsmeade.

After that harrowing experience, is where it all gets complicated. Harry had been right when he said Lucius could simply come back and take Draco from the school. Dumbledore would be forced to give Draco back, especially after the physical distress he had gone through while still in attendance at Hogwarts. Seeing as it was so close to the Christmas break, Lucius would lobby that it was best if Draco return home to rest, which Dumbledore would be forced to agree with. Seeing at it was the fifteenth and break was that coming Friday, there would be almost no reason for Dumbledore to petition Draco's stay. If Hermione broke him out now, which she had the dark feeling had to be done that night, then she would have to keep him away from Malfoy Manor, if not permanently, then at least until Christmas; just ten days away.

If he couldn't stay at Hogwarts, or St. Mungo's, and Malfoy Manor was completely out of the question, then where could she take him for safety? Her home was a definite no, as there had already been an attack on it and they would likely check for him after finding he had disappeared. Grimmauld Place was an absolute no go, simply because it was the Order's headquarters and they either wouldn't take kindly to him but put up with him enough, or they'd, more likely, place him back with Lucius. As long as she kept him hidden during Christmas break, by the time he got back he could say he was feeling better and then Lucius wouldn't be able to take him away. It couldn't be any place obvious, nor could it be anywhere they had ever been before since Lucius knew that information. Shaking her head furiously, she decided she'd just have to figure it out after she had rescued him.

The sun was setting outside the window, sending shadows across the floor. Walking to her bedroom, she changed into muggle clothing, finding a pair of jeans that would be easy to move in and a warm sweater, as it was December and the weather was more than chilly. Pulling out extra thick socks, she slipped a pair of winter boots that came to mid-calf on, tucking her pants legs inside them. Taking out her winter jacket, she realized too late that her hair was caught in the back, as usual. When her arms reached back to remove it, her mind flashed to the many times Draco had done it for her. This was a regular occurrence for them; Hermione's hair would be stuffed beneath a bulky coat, or beneath her shirt, and Draco would be there to pull it out for her, stroking it lightly and then straightening whatever item of clothing that had taken to strangling her hair.

Her mind had been working overtime lately, going through the many moments she had shared with Draco, whether they bore any semblance of romance, or if they were purely innocent friendship memories. Sometimes, when she looked back, it appeared as if he were treating her in an adoring manner, rather than as her best friend. During those times, she had written it off as him being affectionate with her out of their close proximity as friends. But in recent days, she had come to wonder if perhaps he was feeling just as much as she had been. Part of her always reminded her that she could be looking too much into it, as she had spent years with him and nothing but comradery had come out of it.

Yes, he loved her; more than anyone else he knew, but that didn't mean he shared the same type of love she did. He had always been affectionate with her; she had assumed this was because he had never received any kind of physical warmth from his parents or friends, except for perhaps Pansy, but he hated it when she touched him. So the warm embraces, the kisses on her forehead, the hand holding, were all just his usual behavior. She had imagined that look of love in his eyes in the Hospital Wing; she forced herself to see feelings in him that he didn't share. He likely saw her as a sister, considering he often wished her parents to be his own.

Hermione resolved herself to that thinking; she had made a huge mistake in trying to tell him she loved him. Creaven, though a dark and evil demon, had told her his true feelings and they weren't the same as hers. He was marrying her to get away from Pansy and the obligation his father had laid upon him. He had promised himself solely to her because he truly did care, just not in the way she did for him. And his excitement at shagging her was simply the hormones of a seventeen year old boy; it wasn't the blooming feelings of a boy for a girl, or the love of a husband for his wife. What it all came down to, was Hermione had agreed to marry Draco out of friendship. She had wanted him to have a life free of the treachery his father had beat into him. She wanted him to experience a real life, away from the annoying and clingy Parkinson. If that meant giving up her feelings for him so that he could have just one thing for himself, then that was fine. When the war was over, he would divorce her; then he'd be free to find real love, with someone who wasn't her.

It hurt her to think of such things and she truly didn't want to. The romantic side of her had envisioned a wedding of white, with him speaking the words "I do," with all the loving meaning he could possibly possess. That he would smile at her adoringly, truly happy that she was his wife. Not because he was getting away from Pansy, but because he wanted her by his side forever. Which she would be, even if they weren't married. She had no plans of ever ending their friendship, even if it meant an eternity of heartbreak. Even if she only had him for a few months, until the War came to a sharp end, she would still have him. She would be able to kiss his sweet lips, hold him warmly in the mornings, and express her undoubted love for him, even if appeared an act for the public. She would mean every word, enjoy every caress, and love every moment with him.

Shaking her head, she sighed as the room slowly lit with the flame of the candles. Night had fallen upon them and she was now resigned to leave Hogwarts in search of her best friend. Pulling herself from her bed, she walked across the common room, pulling open the door, only to be met by an annoyed sneer. "Parkinson," she greeted, annoyance in her voice. "To what do I owe this unwanted visit?"

"Yes, it's a pleasure to see you again too, mudblood," she spat, pushing past Hermione until she was standing halfway to Hermione's bedroom door.

"Look, I don't know how little you've been informed, or if you're just a twonk, but Draco isn't here," she told her, becoming agitated. "So, you can leave," she said, moving her arm as if to direct Pansy to the door.

"I know where Draco is and I know _why_ he's there," she replied, coldly. After a moment, she inhaled deeply as if a thought had occured to her. "Have you ever wondered if you were just an experiment, Granger?" she asked, cocking her thin, black brow as she glanced back at her. "If perhaps, one day, he thought, 'What would it be like to fuck with the mudblood's head?' Because, I bet that's how it really started." Nodding, she walked around, her arms swinging out aimlessly. "He probably looked at you, in all of your pitiful frumpiness, and questioned what it would be like to control the mudblood of the Golden Trio," she told her, sneering. "And once he got a taste of having you under his thumb, using you however he liked, he decided he didn't want to give up his plaything."

"Mm," Hermione said, nodding with a frown. "Yes, most experiments last three years. They continue on during summers where he would sleep just across the hall from me, if not occasionally beside me. Where he would join in on muggle activities, living life like a normal teenage boy," she told her, lifting her index finger to press beside her mouth. "And he must've gone along with all those times he held my hand while he strolled down the streets filled with muggles. Where he laughed uproariously at how funny something a muggle said, or when he'd heartily tell my parents how much he enjoyed spending time with them. It must've been one great act when he kissed my mother's cheek, or called her mum, or spoke of how much he adored the way she treated him." Nodding, Hermione walked forward, her eyes staring straight at Pansy's stiff back. "Part of an experiment, yes that's what crossed my mind while I would sit out on the back porch with him, discussing the stars or how much he utterly _hated_ everything that had to do with you, his father, or Voldemort," she spat, glaring.

"You know, if it weren't for you, I would have the perfect life," Parkinson told her, rounding to glare angrily at Hermione. "I would have Draco, unharmed and willing to be my fiancé. But you had to come into the picture, all pretending to be his friend. Where in fact, you just want to shag his bloody brains out like all the rest of us," she accused. "Don't act like you're the pristine virgin, Granger. I've seen the way you are with him; I wouldn't be surprised if you were sleeping with him while he was still with me. That's probably how you control him; using your body to get him to turn away from his father, his_ place_ in this world."

"I never _pretended_ to be Draco's friend, I_ am_ his friend. Personally, I couldn't feel less sorry for having ruined your little plans for Draco. Nobody deserves the imminent torture of being tied down to you for the rest of their life! And as for shagging Draco, I bet the only reason you brought it up is because you're actually scared that I'll have all of him, while you have nothing!" she remarked. "He wouldn't kiss you if it meant saving his life, let alone shag you. Remember, I was there when he walked into his room, ready to vomit at the sight of your naked form." Hermione knew she was being vicious, but she had a job to do and Parkinson was just getting in the way. "Draco doesn't need prodding to stay away from you and everything your kind throws at him, he proudly stands with me against the hatred his father and the dark side have tried drowning him in." Crossing her arms, Hermione tapped her foot impatiently. "Now if you'll kindly get your repulsive arse out of my sight, I have business to attend to."

"I'm afraid that wasn't in the program for tonight, mudblood," Pansy shot back, sneering. "Seems you and I are in need of a deep conversation involving your place in this world. And trust me, it's not a high position," she spat. Her hand was in her robes, pulling out her wand quickly.

Hermione, who had not really expected Parkinson to attack had been slow in pulling her wand out for defense. As a red Reductor curse came at her, she had just been able to duck out of the way, hearing the crash of it smashing against the wall loudly. Scrambling to her feet, Hermione held her wand up, staring at Pansy with an annoyed expression. "Exactly what do you think you are going to accomplish?" she wondered, swirling her wand before sending out a _Stupefy_, which Parkinson just barely escaped from, much to Hermione's chagrin.

"Hopefully, you will be reduced to nothing but a pile of limp garbage," Pansy retorted, smirking. "**_Sectumsempra_**!"

Hermione gave out a shriek as she just barely hid herself from the painful spell, knocking over a table to cover herself. Kneeling, she lifted herself to send a hurling hex at the girl who was quickly approaching, luckily hitting her mark. Flying through the air, Pansy hit the couch and rocketed the furniture over with her.

She recovered quickly however, and upon seeing Hermione working her way towards the door, sent a nasty shock to her leg, causing her to pitch forward. Hitting her head against the wall, Hermione felt woozy and couldn't get her eyes to focus for a moment. Lifting herself up, she felt her stomach drop out and rolled over. Her hands flew out frantically, trying to seize onto something to help her up and keep her from moving around too much. When her vision returned, she found Pansy just inches from her face.

"He was mine," she spat, tears in her eyes. "Never yours!"

"No," Hermione told her, gathering what strength she had. "He never liked you, he could care less what you did or said. It was you who tagged along behind him; acting the lost puppy in need of an owner. He put up with you Parkinson!"

"Liar!" Pansy screamed, shaking her head. "If it weren't for you, he would've loved me!"

"He could never love you," Hermione replied, her voice low.

Letting out a pained scream, she lifted her wand ready to curse Hermione until she likely passed out from agony, or possibly worse. However, when she heard the _Diffindo_ curse coming close to being fully said, and noticing that Pansy's wand was directed at her throat, she realized if she didn't do something soon, she would be headless. Quickly, she kicked her leg out, catching Pansy in the stomach just as she said the second D in her curse. With an oof, Pansy was thrown backwards, clutching her stomach and gasping.

"**_Petrificus Totalus_**!" Hermione shouted, pointing her wand at the angry girl. Clutching her head, Hermione tried to clear the cobwebs from her mind but only succeeded in causing a headache. Opening the portrait door, intending to escape the school and find Draco, she heard a hooting in the background.

Whirling around, she assumed she would see Lucius' dark, vicious owl, but came upon one she had seen once a month for the past six and a half years, which she only recognized fully in the last three. A small, golden brown bird sat on the ledge, her yellow and black eyes staring out at Hermione emotionlessly. She lifted her leg, beckoning the girl to take what lay tied there. Hermione crossed the room, wincing as even the sound of her footsteps caused sharp jabs at her eyes. Pulling off the parchment, she reached out and pet the small owl thankfully. With a small hoot, it was off, flying into the night, not waiting for a reply.

The note was simple, in a curvy black scrawl: "_St. Mungo's, room 216, 11 o'clock sharp, come alone. **NB**_."

---

Draco had been surrounded by healers in green smocks for seven days; 168 hours; 10,080 minutes; 604,800 seconds. He was about ready to hurt somebody and since his strength had returned within the last couple days, along with his temper, he really thought a warning for the next person to step through the door was in need. When he had first arrived, the healer informed him that he had lost a great deal of blood. When Draco shot back at him that obviously that was the reason he was there, quite rudely, the man had the audacity to smirk at him. Of course, having a high fever, vomiting and coughing up blood on the hour, every hour, had taken away from his full tenacity. His tone clearly stated that the healer had better remove the smirk, however, or he would do it for him. And even in his frail and utterly useless state, somehow he managed to scare the fairly young healer enough to stop smirking and shrink away.

The useless questions that the healer had asked him ran through his mind. "Do you smoke Mr. Malfoy?"

"Do I look like I smoke?" he asked, cocking his brow. "Do you have any idea what cancer sticks do to your teeth?" he retorted, looking annoyed.

"Yes, well, it was a simple question," the man replied, his brows lifting. "I'm just trying to find out what the cause of the blood is," he muttered.

"Demon," Draco replied, darkly. "Had the misfortune of conjuring him up to save my fian- best friend after my father killed her. Used some dark magic, was possessed, my best friend unposssessed me, and now I'm laying here answering stupid questions about smoking," he told him, sneering.

Clearing his throat, the man stared at him with wide eyes. "Er, yes, well there's no need to make up stories, Mr. Malfoy. Just answer our questions and we'll be able to figure out what it is. Since no magical reason is coming up, let's try some muggle problems shall we?" Sitting down in a chair, he readjusted his wire rim glasses, smoothing his brown hair off his creased forehead. "Alright, now are you only spitting blood up? Or is it coming from any other orifice of your body?" he wondered.

"I'm _coughing_ blood up, not spitting it up. For Merlin's sake, there's a huge difference," Draco told him, rolling his eyes. "And it's only coming out through my my mouth, thankfully."

"Yes, well, you see, blood-tinged mucus in a healthy nonsmoker usually indicates a mild infection and is generally no cause for concern. Indeed, the most common cause of hemoptysis is the least serious-a ruptured small blood vessel caused by coughing and/or a bronchitic infection. In patients with a history of smoking or who are otherwise at risk for lung disease, however-"

"I told you, I don't smoke," Draco interrupted, unamused.

"Right, other serious diseases that can cause hemoptysis include bronchiectasis (chronic dilation and infection of the bronchioles and bronchi), pulmonary embolus (a clogged artery in the lungs that can lead to tissue death), pneumonia (a lung infection), and tuberculosis. Hemoptysis can also result from inhaling a foreign body, such as a particle of food that ruptures a blood vessel-"

"Or maybe a demon through my eyes," he replied, dryly.

"Mr. Malfoy," he said, sighing while plucking his glasses from his face and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "There is no way that I can help you if you continue to-"

"Exactly why don't you believe that I inhaled a demon through my eyes after reviving my best friend from death?" he wondered, cocking his brow.

Sputtering for a moment, he shook his head in disbelief. "You're seventeen," he replied, with wide eyes.

"I also happen to be one of the most knowledgeable wizards in the Dark Arts that you'll likely ever meet," Draco told him, snidely. "Is it really my age, or do you not believe that my father tried to kill my best friend in the first place?" he wondered. "Perhaps that's what makes it so unbelievable. The almighty, rich and powerful Lucius Malfoy attacking an eighteen year old girl for no known reason."

Draco could immediately tell that his was the truth as the healer seemed to sit back slightly, disbelief at Draco's words written over his face. His hand fiddled with his pen, and he knew that the healer was likely adding delusions to the list of symptoms. Then his gaze flickered back up to Draco as he watched him through curious silver eyes.

Leaning forward, Draco stared at him head on. "Not only did my father do as I said, but I can assure you that I don't have pneumonia, or any of those other muggle infections. I'm coughing up blood because I recently expelled a fifteen century old demon from my body," he told him, lowly. "If you think your medical texts, be them muggle or not, are going to come up with a cure for that, then you are sorely lacking in your position as a healer."

Huffing, the man stood up, looking indignant. "Now see here, you little plonker-"

"I'd be careful who you call a fool," Draco interrupted, looking unfazed by the man's outburst. Sighing, he leaned back against the bed. "If you are incapable of treating me, I want another healer. One who hasn't been swayed by my father's high position and galleons," he told him, coldly.

Straightening himself out, he fled from the room.

Draco was happy to see a new healer in his room an hour later; an older woman with greying blonde hair and kind blue eyes. She checked his fever for him the muggle way, like he remembered Jane doing back in the summer before sixth year when he had fallen ill with the flu. She asked him some more questions, trying to figure out what kind of pain he was going through. Unlike the first healer, she believed him when he told her he had been possessed. He enjoyed having her there to look him over; the only thing that bothered him was that she seemed to be talking quite a bit with his mother.

His second day in St. Mungo's had been anything but nice. His vomiting had increased, causing his throat to become so raw he couldn't speak at all. His father, who only stopped in once that day wondering where his wife was, had found it quite amusing that he couldn't speak and took great pleasure in pushing him to the point where Draco would've screamed, had he the use of his larynx. He found that his mother spent most days in his room, reading a book or simply staring out the window. She hardly looked at Draco, let alone spoke to him. Whenever he caught sight of her, he found himself wishing she were Jane; who would certainly perk him up in his wretched state. Instead, he found himself stuck with his mute mother, who only seemed to speak to Niona Bronte, his healer.

He found his blankets were being changed almost hourly, seeing as the blood was spurting from him now on a regular basis, staining the white sheets with his depleting liquid of life. Despite his thinking that more healers would join Niona after his state began to get worse, he found she never asked for anyone else, and curiously this didn't scare him in the least. For some unknown reason he had complete trust that she would somehow save him. This didn't stave his overwrought emotions at night however, when he was left all alone to his worrisome thoughts about Hermione.

While he wished for her often during the days, he found he was in need of her presence moreso at night. Sleep had been failing him, as whenever he was whisked away in his dreams, he was stuck with the same nightmare. Everytime Lucius decapitated her head from her body and the blood burrowed into her dress and wet his arms, he'd wake up to have his more painful and worse off coughing and vomiting fits. This would entail his mother rising from her chair, walking briskly from the room, and returning with a nurse who would place something in front of him so he could finish with his problem. She would then vanish the sheets and replace them with new ones, before giving him a pitying look and leaving the room.

It probably wasn't good for him to avoid sleep, seeing as he was apparently trying to get his immune system back in order, but he couldn't take seeing them all die. Most of all, he couldn't take the fear that enveloped him whenever he saw the Death Eaters enter the chapel, saw Hermione fall from his reaching grasp, witnessed the life leave her eyes. He was unbelievably terrified that it would come true; that he would be standing with her at the altar and it would all be destroyed by his father and Voldemort's Death Eaters. He couldn't bear the thought of her dying because of him; he wouldn't be able to live with himself if his nightmare came true.

His eyes had darkened by the third day, thick black marks marred his pale skin beneath the light silver of his eyes. His breathing was becoming labored and he was fairly certain that this was a bad sign. He could see the faint anxious expression on his mother's face whenever her eyes fell on him, believing he couldn't see her. If she was desperate with worry, she had covered it with only mild interest in his well being. He could hardly lift his arms anymore, and his throat still hadn't healed, leaving him limp and silent. His father would have a celebration were he to see him that way, and in fact when he entered the room, he looked quite interested in his progress. He could hear Lucius' words running through his hazy mind late on the third day of his stay.

"Well, well, well, it seems you're not as invincible as you thought," Lucius drawled, a smirk pulling at his lips. Walking forward, he picked up one of Draco's hands, lifting it high before he let it drop to the bed again. "Can't even move I see," he noted, nodding. "Perhaps my money is going to waste trying to save you then, hmm?"

"I can assure you, Mr. Malfoy, your son will be feeling better in no time," Niona's voice broke through.

Lucius looked quite nonplused by her interruption but rounded on her with his usual charismatic smile, saved only for those he was trying to turn over to his side. "Well, ma'am, I can only hope that he's been getting the best from you and your fine staff."

"Draco has been a very good and willing patient," she replied. "Though we haven't found exactly where the blood is coming from, nor why it has increased so drastically, I have every reason to believe that he will make a successful recovery," she told him, her eyes set on Draco's instead of Lucius. "It's only too bad that such a fine man is stuck here, when he could be in school, enjoying his last year with his friends. And with how handsome he is, I have no doubt he has a lovely girlfriend waiting for his safe return." A faint smirk covered her face then and had Draco any control over his face, he might've thinned his eyes curiously.

"Yes, lovely indeed," Lucius replied with obvious disdain. "How much longer until he may return home?" he asked, glancing back at Draco with malicious eyes.

"I'm afraid he is in no shape to leave here, nor do I believe he will be any time soon," she replied, her expression taking on something akin to fear, but she covered it quickly when Lucius returned his gaze to her. "Give him time and I assure you he should recover by Christmas at the latest."

"Christmas," Lucius said, his brow lifting. "What a wonderful gift he shall receive," he drawled, sarcastically.

Niona nodded, smiling faintly at Draco before she left the room.

"Did you hear that Draco, you'll be able to come home with your mother and I within the next ten days," he told him, sneering. "I've been very interested in having you home for some time now. I'm sure it will be a real treat," he told him, the last word coming out with an obvious snap. Not a moment later, Lucius had left him with a sinister glare.

It was by the fourth day that he noticed a change in himself; he was regaining his strength, now he was at least able to sit up of his own accord. The coughing and vomiting of blood had slowed down to what it had been when he first awoke; not often, but still just as painful. Sleep still wasn't anywhere in his schedule, but he often found himself in a half asleep state, more like a day dream than anything. This acquiesced his unsteady mind enough not to make him delirious or cause him any undue problems while his health slowly picked up. His mother was still there, her eyes set outside and her hands clasped in her lap. Whenever he found himself nodding off, he'd immediately shake himself away from sleep; he found focusing on Narcissa helped to stop him from letting the sandman steal him away.

Having her around so often allowed him to think about her on the whole; how she could be adoring in letters, but so cold and stiff in person. He often wondered what it was that caused this; if perhaps she was two people in one, and the one that cared only came out in writing. He had the urge to hand her the parchment and quill he had been using to write Niona on how he was feeling whenever she came in to assess him. But a stab at his heart reminded him that whoever it was that wrote to him, the woman sitting across him now was not her. His mind drifted to when Lucius had dropped in with a nasty little surprise involving letters, just that afternoon.

"Awake still, I see," Lucius commented, sitting down in the chair beside Draco's bed. "Good, I have a couple entertaining items to show you," he told him, smirking.

Draco, still unable to speak, merely stared at his father with disdain.

"Don't look at me like that," Lucius told him, his amusement obvious. "I have reason to believe you'll enjoy this, after all you did write them."

If it were possible, Draco's face paled even more than it had as of late.

"Seeing as the lovely Granger parents have vacated their house, I had an associate of mine drop by their house to look around for something. You see, I remember you and the mudblood's parents often kept up correspondence during the summers. While I intercepted it every time, interested in what you might be saying, I always allowed it through. Now that I have them with me again, I think this would be a wonderful time to read a couple, don't you?" He tipped his head, a malevolent glint in his eyes. "How about we start with a lovely read to your father. _Oh_, I mean the mudblood's father," he said, pointedly.

Unraveling a piece of parchment, his eyes ran over it for a moment before he looked back up at Draco, a brow lifting.

"_Henry_," he began, his voice dark. "_School is coming along fine; while I haven't surpassed Hermione, I've certainly kept my grades up_," he read, his brows high with annoyance.

"_The Hallowe'en Ball is approaching and though I've already been set up with Pansy, I'd rather go with Hermione. At least she could make me laugh, while all Pansy does is make me roll my eyes. I know she's supposed to be my girlfriend, but I find her utterly boring. Have you ever had that problem? No, I doubt you have, seeing as you're married to Jane, someone you love dearly._

"_Were your parents ever controlling? Did they ever try and set the future for you? I know they're supposed to have some say, but I often wonder if perhaps I've been predestined by my father to become someone I don't believe I am. But since I'm really only sixteen, I'm not sure I know who I am. Does that make sense? All I know is that I don't agree with a lot of things he sets forth, but I guess this could be my way of rebelling, couldn't it? I don't know... _

"In any case, Hermione is bugging me to take her to Hogsmeade for a butterbeer, so I best be off. Send Jane my love, I can't reply to her until later. Oh, and thanks for the advice on dealing with those confusing feelings I mentioned about that girl. I really think it was just because I'm around her a lot. I'm sure it's nothing and we're only meant to be friends. Hope to hear from you soon. Sincerely, Draco"

"Is this how you were with him, then?" Lucius wondered, frowning. "This is what you think a father should be like? Some man who gives you advice on your adolescent mind, furthering your feelings? By Merlin, Draco, I've taught you better than that. Feelings only get in the way of things. You have a job to do in this life; women and the frivolous nonsense they bring about shouldn't be encouraged but squashed and ignored. You need a woman like Miss Parkinson; who will sate your hormones, but know her place well enough to stay out of the way."

He seemed to wait a moment, as if he thought Draco would reply. But seeing as he was unable to, all he did was turn away from Lucius, directing his gaze at the ceiling.

"Another then, perhaps?" Lucius suggested, pulling forth a second roll of parchment. "Ah, to the woman you so fondly call mum, and so often too," he prodded.

"_Jane_," Lucius read, with false sweetness. "_It feels like I haven't seen you in ages, when really it's only been a few weeks. I really wish the school year was over all ready, don't tell Hermione though as she is quite happy to be back. I already miss the summers I spend with your family. In fact, I miss them the moment I leave, though I can't really admit that to most people. Hermione knows and she wishes it could be different, but I guess there's no way for you to fix that, right? If things were different, better even, I would never have to leave the Granger home and I only wish that were how life was for me._

"_Sometimes, when I first wake up, I swear I can hear you talking to Henry downstairs and for a fleeting moment I actually get excited enough that I hurry out of bed. Unfortunately, all that greets me are the incessant snoring of the boys who share my dorm and the hooting of Jasper as he sits perched on the window._

"_I know you say it often, telling me it's all right that I call you mum; I know I wish it true likely more than I should. But I will continue to call you Jane if only for my own sanity. To call you mum and believe it true would only further my wish; one that will never come to a head. As much as I want you and Henry to replace the parents that so carelessly forget about me, I can't help but know that you can't. Only in the dreams of the summer may I feast upon my imagination at its peak, enjoying the perfection and adoration of which your family bestows upon me. But to allow myself to believe it true, to indulge myself in such dreams, would only cause a greater pain in the future; when I must return to reality at its cruel end, living the life of a Malfoy._

"_Aside from Hermione, I believe you to be the only person I can speak freely to without feeling any reason to hide my feelings. There are moments when I can do so with Henry, but I must admit that his being a man causes a great deal of stress when I try to speak to him. It's not that he reminds me of my father, as he could never be as dark or emotionless, but just the fact that he is a father too causes me distress. I attribute that to Lucius never showing any interest in me except when it came to turning me into a well bred Malfoy. I find that while it's taking awhile, I'm slowly becoming more comfortable with Henry, and I do hope that one day I can speak as freely with him as I do you._

"_School is good, though Hermione is beating me in every course; as usual. She was away with Potter and Weasley this weekend, off for a trip in Hogsmeade. I was able to steal her away for a moment though; we took a walk by the Shrieking Shack where she enjoyed telling me of its history, which I already knew but I enjoy her lectures most of the time. Have you noticed her hair is becoming more tame, I think she may have found a way to work that Sleekeasy potion into a permanent batch, and she may just be working with a small amount of it as a tester. She looks quite fetching actually, but don't tell her I said so, or she might start her melodramatic tantrum about how I'm just saying it so she'll help me with one of my essays. I only did that once! Every other time I really meant it; she really needs to start accepting praise better. I guess I'm partly the reason her self esteem was down though; I can't apologize enough for that._

"_Anyway, I only mean to write you a short letter. I was in the middle of my homework when I had the urge to write you, so I should get back to it before Hermione realizes I haven't been working. Oh... she's spotted me and she has that frown she always gets when she knows I've been doing something she wouldn't approve of. I better go. Love you, Draco_"

Lucius lifted his eyes, staring at Draco with a dark glint. "You spoke quite freely with the mudblood's mother, Draco. You didn't happen to tell her any private information while you were there over the summers did you?" he wondered, standing up. "You know, after reading all of the letters you shared with her, I actually forgot for a moment that she wasn't your mother."

Draco kept his eyes on the ceiling, refusing to spare him a glance.

"She's quite fetching really, I can understand why you took such a liking to her," he said, smirking.

Almost immediately, Draco's eyes slipped from the roof, piercing into his father with a thick hatred. He willed his throat to work, for his voice to return just so he could scream every obscenity that came to mind. Jane was like a mother to him, and while she did resemble Hermione, given that she's her mother, he had never thought of her in a sexual manner. To hear her spoken of in such lewd tones commanded a fiery hate that burst in Draco's chest with such force he almost lurched forward. He felt his hands curl tightly, a feat given he was still quite weak. In his mind's eye he couldn't help but imagine it was his father's throat he was squeezing instead of the white blanket covering his legs.

With a simple, irritating laugh, Lucius placed the parchment back in his coat and left the room, his cane held tightly in his hand.

Niona had arrived later that night, handing him a thick, purple potion that he downed without question. She nodded at him, a smile on her features. "Monday," she whispered, nodding. "You'll be at your best by Monday."

Draco felt the need to hug her for her kind help, but settled for a nod and a warm smile. Over the next few days, Draco found his strength had returned, allowing him to walk around by the sixth day, though a little shaky on his feet. His vomiting had all but stopped and by the seventh morning, he found all that came up was a small bit of blood during his very rare coughs. Whatever she had given him it had worked, speeding up the little recovery he'd made and fixing whatever had been bleeding; returning him to his old self. The only problem that was still present was that his voice had failed to return; Niona assured that it was because his throat was still quite raw from his throwing up. She promised that it would come back to him, just not for a few more days; she also pressed upon him how important it was that he didn't force speaking or anything more strenuous as it would either cause damage or draw out how long it would be until he could speak again. She had used a few potions to try and soothe his throat for him to speak, but they only succeeded in making it hurt less for him to breathe.

It was nearly ten o'clock at night when something strange had happened. His father had sent word that afternoon that he knew Draco was feeling much better and he'd be arriving at midnight to take him and his mother home. He would've come by earlier but he had business to attend to and he thought it best to leave at night rather than during the day, as he didn't quite trust the staff of St. Mungo's. He was rather paranoid, but Draco knew he had reason to be. Hermione hadn't sent word, but he knew why; she was smart enough to know that his father would intercept it. His mind hoped that somehow she knew he needed to get out then; if help didn't arrive soon, he would be forced into Malfoy Manor. He had no doubts that he would be returning to St. Mungo's within the next few weeks, only this time because of the beating his father was going to give him for disobeying.

A flurry of action broke out just outside his room, he could see the bright colours of spells flying about. A loud thud alerted him that the guards his father had placed by his door were stunned on the ground. Part of him hoped it was Hermione while another feared it might be someone worse. His mother wasn't in his room, this was her usual time for leaving to send word to Lucius on how things had been going; in regular drone fashion, as she reacted as the dutiful wife, even when she knew he'd be there in two hours time. With the guard down outside his room, he jumped into action, pulling on the clothes he had arrived in quickly. His shirt was left open when the door flung against the wall with force. Stepping inside was none other than Niona and part of him knew that she had been planning on helping him from the beginning. It was who stood beside her that gave him shocked pause. He hadn't expected her to help; ever.

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**A/N **_Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I really liked writing it, it all seemed to flow nicely.  
Please review as it is truly appreciated!_

_Much Love,  
-**Amanda**_


	23. Reflections

**Review offering insight to the story**:

"_This chapter was so amazing. You slipped from emotion to emotion so seamlessly; it's almost like real-life. Hermione's ponderings nearly made me cry; they were so reflective and sad. All of your characters are so believable that sometimes I think of them as the real characters. I cannot express how well your wriiting brings your characters to life, and puts depth and feelings into them. The way you described Narcissa sitting in Draco's room was so vivid that I could imagine it in my head. You can convey Draco's feelings so perfectly. His helplessness and frailty really shines through. I can imagine how he must be feeling, and the nightmares must be horrifying him. You mention them just slightly, but they are very vividly brought back to his mind_." - **_PiperPaigePhoebe01_** of FanFiction net.

**Thank you to the following reviewers of** _Chapter Twenty-One_ - **_Hidden, But There_**: _Phoenix flame01, BodomsGirl, sasmith, scooterrg, niic smiles, CharmedLife19, Michelle Felton, Weaselbee, Lionel, Mrs. St. John Allerdyce, evelyn-halfmoon, tom's a hottie, angelrider93, livelife-loveHGDM, Sam's Firefly, Melissa, LadyBrianna, Dizi 85, anie smiles, TaY TaY, bethygirl94, **Laendra, Abraxnia, Caligirl-HPLVR, Jennifer-Marie, HermionexDracoshipper, Maybaby525, Classic Pairs Shipper, cle be, jk rowling the 2nd, annieca, Zarroc **_and_ especially **Hyuga Kyuuketsuki**_, _**PiperPaigePhoebe01**_, _**BladeDraeam**_, and_ **galloping-goose**._

**_Growing_**

_Chapter Twenty-Two_

_Reflections_

Hermione paced around her common room for an hour, simply hopping over Parkinson when she got in the way. She wasn't sure what to make of the note; it was from Narcissa's owl, that was obvious. But why would Draco's mother want her to show up in his room, unless it was a trap. Obviously, she was very confused and unsure about the whole situation. She wanted to be there; she needed to get him out, but she couldn't be sure of what might happen. It all really came down to one thing though; how willing was she to risk herself for him? Completely and fully willing.

Since she had awhile before she would have to leave, she decided to get herself ready for what was likely to come. Parkinson was laying petrified on her floor and she would most likely be in quite a heap of trouble for that one, especially if the girl turned the story around to suit her needs. Then add on the fact that she was breaking her best friend out of a hospital against his parents wishes, even if he technically is considered an adult. It wasn't looking good for her, but she had no mind to just leave things as they were. Running to her room, she pulled out her suitcase, filling it with a weeks worth of clothes. Then, she hurried into Draco's bedroom and pulled open his drawers, searching for the same for him, even remembering that he didn't have his winter coat with him. She had no idea where they were going or what they'd do, but she knew that they would have to disappear for the Christmas holiday.

The pouch of leftover money from when she bought her wedding dress was stuffed inside his jacket pocket, more than half full. It was at least enough to get them a room at the Leaky Cauldron or an equally clean establishment for the night. Until they could figure out their fund situation and get somewhere safe, they'd need to hide out for the rest of the night, possible longer. She didn't know when Lucius would become anxious and start searching for Draco, but she knew it wouldn't take long. Perhaps staying in London would be a bad idea, seeing as Lucius might search there first. Or maybe he would go to Hogwarts; meaning Hogsmeade was best to stay out of. They needed to go somewhere Lucius wouldn't consider them hiding at. She was hoping that Draco would come up with a smart idea for where they could disappear to as she was completely stumped on the matter.

Putting everything in with her stuff, she took both of their wands, placing them securely inside her jacket. Shrinking her suitcase, she put it in her pocket and then crossed the common room again, glancing down at Pansy before hurrying out. Making her way to Gryffindor Tower, she passed the students sitting in the common room and walked straight to the boys' dormitory, ignoring the protests of the seventh year Gryffindor's. The second she walked through the door, she realized her mistake in ignoring her fellow Housemates.

"Of course I know you're angry," Harry shouted, shaking his head. "You're always angry about something! I talk to Luna too much, I spend more time talking to you about being friends with Hermione again than about Quidditch, Ron's getting on your nerves and it's my fault," he listed, staring at her with wide, annoyed eyes. "What do you expect Ginny? That I'll just sit beside you like some puppy, listening to you prattle on about make-up and Quidditch all day long?"

"I want you to talk to me," she yelled, throwing her arms up. "But I don't want to hear about Ron, _Malfoy_, _Zabini_, or Hermione," she spat, viciously. "And I sure as hell don't want to hear anything about Loony Lovegood," she told him, her voice sharp. "I want you to talk to me about us, Harry. We're the ones in this relationship, at least I am!"

"They're my best friends," he shouted, shaking his head. "Well, besides Draco and Blaise, although they aren't enemies like they used to be," he reminded. "Why do you keep expecting me to have conversations with you that don't involve them?" he questioned. "You've spent the last few weeks holed up in your room and now you come back expecting me to tell you what, Ginny?"

"That you miss me," she yelled, her face becoming the infamous Weasley red. "That I was all you could think of. That you spent all of your time pining for me. Anything to remind me that I'm your girlfriend," she told him, her tone angry, instead of hurt. "All I ever hear about is how great and loyal your friends are. But where's the adventure Harry? Where's the excitement I always hear Ron going on about? Why can't I be part of that?"

"This is the reason I never wanted to go out with you," he growled, his eyes darkening. "It's all about adventure with you Ginny. It's all about the popularity and the excitement of being Harry bloody Potter's girlfriend. Well I'm through," he told her, his tone final. "I'm not doing this anymore. If you want some guy whose just going to pine away for you, spending his time away from his friend just to make sure you're always happy, then you picked the wrong guy. You should know by now that my friends are my family and no girl is going to change that. In fact, if she really cared, she would understand that about me."

Hermione chose this point to clear her throat, feeling horrible for having been there listening to the whole thing.

Whipping around, the couples gaze landed on her. While Harry's had softened, Ginny's had only hardened.

"Mione, what are you doing here?" he wondered, his shoulders falling from their stiff position. "Are you doing _that thing_ tonight?" he asked, his eyes glancing at Ginny uncomfortably.

Nodding, Hermione walked in. "Yeah, I, uh, need to borrow your cloak," she told him, avoiding looking at Ginny.

"Where are you going?" Ginny asked, crossing her arms and tapping her foot as she glared at Hermione.

Feeling quite thrown off by the girls question, Hermione simply stayed quiet, clearing her throat.

"Well?" Ginny asked, staring at her searchingly. "Why can't I know? Is this another _Golden Trio_ thing?" she questioned, spitting the title.

"Leave it alone, Ginny," Harry told her, lowly. He had gone to his trunk to collect the cloak before walking over to stand in front of Hermione, placing a hand on each of her shoulders. "I should come," he said, nodding. "Something could happen and-"

"No," she said, cutting him off. Her eyes darted to the impatient and prying red head so she turned their bodies slightly and lowered her voice. "Look, I have reason to believe that someone else is going to help me get him out," she told him, quietly. "To be honest I'm not sure I trust them, so if I don't send you word my tomorrow, you'll know something is wrong."

Harry's face darkened with worry. "Mione-"

"No Harry," she told him, shaking her head. "I need to do this and I need you to understand why I'm doing this. I'm going to be gone for awhile, possibly all of break. But I will see you on Christmas," she said, smiling. "You know where to meet us, right?" she asked.

Harry's mood lightened and he sighed. "Yes," he said, nodding. "Around nine, right?"

"There'll be a special seat saved right up at the front," she told him, warmly.

"Okay," he said, pulling her in for a hug. "I better wake up to see post from you," he whispered into her ear, holding her tightly.

"Don't worry," she said, sighing. "I'll be back." Pulling away, she nodded at him, taking the cloak from his hands and walking to the door. She glanced back once, smiling at her best friend who watched her leave apprehensively. Hermione could tell from the look on Ginny's face that he was in for another angry lecture.

As she passed the common room, she looked around for her ginger haired best friend, sighing when she couldn't find him. Feeling someone tap her shoulder, she turned only to be engulfed in a tight embrace. The only explanation was the red hair that passed her eyes, notifying her that it was the boy she was looking for. "I see you're leaving," he noted, sadly.

"Yeah," she told him, pulling back from his hug. "But you'll be there for the...thing, right?" she asked, hopefully.

"Of course," he replied, nodding. "You know how I love... things," he said, chuckling. "There will be food right?"

Laughing, Hermione nodded. "I'm sure we can spring for food afterwards."

"Good," Ron said, looking absolutely relieved. "I mean, what's a _thing_ without food?"

Shaking her head, Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "Atrocious I'm sure," she said, sarcastically.

However, being Ron, a lover of food, he considered her response to be true. "So you'll be gone until then?" he wondered, frowning.

"Most likely," she admitted, sighing. "I didn't tell Harry, but it might be good for people to know that Parkinson is currently laying petrified in the Head common room," she told him, quietly. "Whatever she says happens, you should all know that she attacked me and I was only trying to keep her from decapitating me."

"Bloody brilliant," he exclaimed, grinning but then frowned. "Not 'bout the decapitation thing, but the other part. So she's like that right now? If I go there now, she'll just be sprawled out, petrified on the floor? Girl deserves it," he told her nodding, still looking proud of her.

"Yes, right," Hermione said, looking skeptical. "Look, I'll see you on Christmas, but I think I'll have to disappear again, at least until break is over."

"Are you sure you're okay?" he wondered, frowning. "I mean, things sound like they're getting bad. Not that they already haven't with you dying, Malfoy's possession, and the journals and everything," he said, his brows lifting.

"I know it looks bad right now, but everything will get better," she assured. "What time is it?" she asked.

"You missed dinner," he informed her, as if it was the most important factor. "And it's going on nine."

Sighing, Hermione nodded. "All right, well I should go," she said. Hugging him again, she told him to be safe and that she'd send word soon. Hurrying out of Gryffindor Tower, she made her way down to the kitchens, tickling the pear to get inside.

Dobby appeared in front of her almost immediately, which scared her for a moment. Catching her breath, she kneeled down in front of him. "Hello Dobby," she greeted, smiling.

"Hello Hermione Miss," he replied, grinning excitedly. "What can Dobby do you for you?"

"Well," she said, sighing. "I need a couple of meals for me and another person and I need them covered and shrunk so I can take them with me," she explained, biting her lip.

Tipping his head, Dobby looked confused. "Why does Hermione Miss need this? Where is Miss going? Is Miss in trouble?" he asked, worried. His large eyes grew even bigger and if possible, he stood much more tall. "Does Miss need Dobby's help?" he asked, nodding his acceptance.

"Oh, no, Dobby, it's not like that," she told him, feeling like she was lying. "I have to take it with me and it will be awhile before we can eat it," she replied, sighing. "It's just really important Dobby."

"If Miss is sure," he said, not looking satisfied with her answer. Sighing though, he seemed to perk up a moment later. "If Hermione Miss says it is important than Dobby will do it," he told her, nodding.

He disappeared with a snap of his fingers and Hermione was left staring at a blank spot in front of her. It took him a short while, but she soon had a couple containers of dinner packed away and shrunk to fit in her pocket beside her suitcase. She thanked him profusely before exiting the kitchens quickly. She became worried that people might start asking questions if she was seen in certain places.

On her way to the passage to Hogsmeade, she ran into Blaise, who happened to walking with Luna. Debating with herself about whether she should leave without informing them or not, she sighed with resignation as she waited for them to notice her. Almost immediately Blaise seemed to understand what was going on, while it appeared Luna had already known.

"Off to St. Mungo's then," the quirky Ravenclaw girl stated more than asked, nodding, her eyes drifting off.

"Yes," Hermione replied, trying her best to smile. "I- I'm not sure if I'll see you before the wedding, but I'll write as soon as we're situated."

"Why wouldn't you see us before then?" Blaise asked, shaking his head. "I thought you were returning with him," he reminded, looking hurt.

"Well, things aren't turning out as planned," she told him, crossing her arms feeling defensive. "Parkinson is currently petrified on our floor and I don't want to risk Draco being taken away by his father again if I bring him back."

"So what are you going to do? Stay away for the entire break?" he asked, disbelief in his words.

Clearing her throat, Hermione nodded.

Making a strangled noise, Blaise shook his head. "This is unbelievable. I thought you guys were going to fight this, not hide away," he told her, his voice raising.

"Well it's a little hard to fight it when Draco is locked away in a hospital or being beaten half to death by Lucius, isn't it?" she shouted, angrily.

"So you're just going to run? You're going to hide away until when? The war is over? Lucius is dead? When, Hermione?" He was pacing now, shaking his head with a sour expression. "When are you going to just accept the fact that nobody is ever going to accept you two being together? When are you just going to tell them all to screw off and live whatever life you want?" he wondered, his tone loud and angry.

"I am," she yelled, shaking her head. "You don't know what it's like," she told him, her eyes pricking with tears. "I have stuck with him for three years. We've gone through everything together, but we always kept it quiet. And don't act like your high and mighty Blaise, you hid your feelings too! You pretended you were like _them _too, so don't tell me that I'm being a coward. The only reason you came out as a supporter of the Light side is because you knew Draco was, so you weren't worried about being alone." Shaking her head, she glared at him. "What do I have if he's gone? I lose my best friend, my other half, my everything if he's taken away. I can't risk that. I won't risk him!" she yelled, waving her arms in a final motion.

"And what does this do, huh? How is this going to save him? You just whisk him off to some deserted place in the world, hiding him from the big bad Lucius Malfoy and everything will be right in the world?" He cocked his brow, staring at her questioningly. "He'll find you! He'll kill you and he'll make Draco watch," he shouted, his tone deathly serious. "You can't hide from him, Hermione. You can't hide from any of it. The world thinks you and Draco are traitors, no matter where you go that title will always haunt you," he reminded, furious but worried tears slipping out of his eyes. "Now you're just taking him and yourself away from everyone who still supports you, who still care about you!"

"I'm not leaving for good," she told him, biting her lip as it began to quiver. "We're only leaving for Christmas break, that way Lucius can't get him. We're coming back, we're not abandoning this war, or any of the people in it," she said, her voice shaking. "But right now he's hurt and he's sick and I'm not going to let Lucius drag him away when he's better, only to put him right back in the hospital with worse injuries," she told him, tears falling freely. "And you can hate me for that, you can tell me I'm being a coward all you want, but when I come back to this school, I will have him beside me and that's all that matters."

Before Blaise could reply, she turned and left through the secret passageway to Hogsmeade. She ran as fast as she could, pushing away the tears that fell from her eyes and trying her best to pay attention to where she was going. The cold night air beat across her face, shocking her slightly at just how cold it had become, causing a puff of grey air to appear when she breathed. Sticking her hands in her pockets, she shivered as she made her way through the town. She decided to stop in at the Three Broomsticks to wait out the time she had left until she had to apparate to St. Mungo's. For the time being, she would try to figure out a plan as to where they would go; she felt frazzled and lost, like she was walking into this were her eyes half closed.

---

Draco's eyes stared firmly at the woman beside Niona with disbelief and wary concern. Shaking his head, he crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes thinning with confusion. He opened his mouth to question what she was doing, but remembered he couldn't speak. Niona shut and locked the door behind her with a powerful charm involving a lot of serious arm movements, before turning back to face him with a calm expression. Draco tried to show her with his face that he didn't like what was going on and that he didn't trust the situation but she simply stared at him with confusion.

Sighing, he crossed to his bed, picking up a piece of parchment and his quill, scrawling out a simple question. "_What is **she** doing here?_"

"Really, Draco, is that any way to treat your mother?" Niona asked, sighing.

Frowning, Draco stared at his mother with calculating eyes. She was wringing her hands, staring out the window with a pale face.

"Narcissa's here to help," Niona told him, motioning for him to sit down. "Please, we still have some time," she said, looking down at her watch. "She'll be here for you in an hour, that is if she believed your mother's note."

Draco stared at her, clearly wondering who it was she was referring to. Instead of asking though, he realized he wanted to know something else much more important. "_Why are you helping me?_"

"Aside from being your healer, meaning I am supposed to do anything in my power to help your health," she said, glancing at Narcissa, "I have my reasons."

"_What happens when she comes to get me?_" he wondered, writing to her.

"You'll have to hide yourselves," Niona told him, sighing. "Lucius will come looking for you immediately and the school is not safe for you right now. From what Narcissa has told me, he's about ready to kill you for what you've been doing lately."

Draco snorted, rolling his eyes at the words. His father was being completely melodramatic about the whole thing. So what if he had fallen for a muggleborn girl, or that he didn't want to marry Pansy Parkinson? So what if he didn't want to take the Dark Mark or be a supporter of Voldemort? He knew he wasn't the first pureblood to think so. Lucius just had a tendency of blowing things out of proportion; he took it as a mark against his reputation. When in reality it was all his fault that everything was happening. If he hadn't taken the pictures of him and Hermione then they wouldn't have been used to mar the Malfoy name. If he hadn't have been so cruel and unfeeling all of Draco's life, then perhaps he wouldn't be rebelling now.

"Is that a nipple piercing?" Niona suddenly asked, breaking him out of his thoughts.

Startled, Draco looked down, reminded that his shirt was still wide open. He grinned a the silver adornment on his chest, nodding at her. "_Got it when I was fourteen_," he wrote to her, smirking.

Narcissa turned around, her wide eyes staring at him with shock. She quickly hid her displeasure with her regular expression of indifference, which oddly enough made Draco want to see her angry with him for doing something rash, even if it was years ago. He wished she would yell at him, tell him he was being foolish and that he had marked himself for life. Not in the way Lucius would, screaming in his face that he was useless. But in a motherly way, the way Jane had when she realized what he'd done.

"_You should see my tattoo,_" he wrote to Niona, winking cheerily. "_Hermione and I both got one when we were sixteen_."

Chuckling, Niona shook her head at him, smiling easily. "Cissa," she called, turning to look at him. "I believe you wanted to talk to your son about something," she reminded. "Now would be a good time, seeing as there isn't much time left before she arrives."

Clearing her throat, Narcissa stayed by the window a moment longer before she made her way over to her son, who was looking at her rather apprehensively. He didn't know what to make of the situation; here was his mother, with his mysterious healer, who happened to be helping him for a reason she wouldn't disclose. It reminded him of Dumbledore for a moment and his vague way of phrasing things.

"Draco," Narcissa said, and he was struck by how very little she addresses him. She motioned to the bed, as if asking if she could sit by him.

He nodded, realizing how utterly unfamiliar they were with each other and taking an immediate dislike to how their relationship worked. He watched her for a moment, noticing that her face had aged and now had a few wrinkles near her mouth, it was likely from all of the frowning she did. Jane had wrinkles near her eyes but that was because she laughed on a regular basis, giving her face a warm, friendly expression. His mother's seemed cold and indifferent; save for the way she kept wringing her hands he wouldn't know what she was feeling.

"This Hermione girl," she began, causing Draco to stiffen immediately, not liking the direction of the conversation, "you love her?"

Relaxing very slightly, Draco nodded at her, his eyes thinned with suspicion.

"And you're to be married?" she wondered, glancing at him with her crystal blue eyes.

He nodded again, a smile tugging at his mouth. Picking up his parchment, he scrawled out something quickly, "_She already has her dress and I've made arrangements with a chapel._"

There was no point in lying, his mother had already seen her ring around Hermione's neck. Besides, part of him rather enjoyed being able to say that he was getting married soon, especially to someone who was supposed to be his mother. She hadn't really shown much interest in his life in the past, but this event would involve his future and part of him really wanted her to know about it. He just hoped she would be caring enough not to spill everything to his father, who would definitely kill him.

She squeaked with surprise, "Oh!" Clearing her throat, she inhaled deeply before clearing her face of emotion.

"_Why do you do that_?" he questioned with his quill.

Glancing at the parchment, her eyes raised to his, brows lifting with query. "Do what?"

"_Pretend you don't care_," he replied, lifting the paper for her to see while he stared at her pointedly.

"It's what I've been taught," she admitted, pursing her lips for a moment. "Much like how you've been bred for hating anyone that isn't pureblooded. The only difference is that you rebelled against your teachings, while I accepted them."

"_Are you saying I should accept them_?" he asked, his eyes sharp with anger.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "In fact, I'm rather... proud that you didn't," she told him, looking as if it had taken a lot for to tell him so. "If I were more strong willed, perhaps I too would be able to rebel against how I am, but I cannot."

Draco felt a surge of warmth run through him at her words, not only because she had never actually told him she was proud, but because she supported the idea and even wanted to do the same. He had always hated how she was when he was at home; how monotonous her life seemed to be and how she didn't seem to care about anything. It was all Lucius' doing, he was sure of that. He couldn't help but wonder why she was with him in the first place, let alone why she stayed.

"_Why do you stay with him_?" Draco asked, shaking his head.

"It wouldn't be proper in society to leave him," she replied, sitting a little straighter. "And in the end, I would be killed for my frowned upon actions."

"_Does that mean I'll be killed for marrying Hermione_?" he asked, his brow cocked.

Shaking her head, Narcissa swallowed. "No. At least I don't believe so. But you will be disowned and stricken from the Malfoy Will; no longer considered part of the family."

"_Guess I better load up on money before I go_," he joked, smiling slightly.

Narcissa looked close to chuckling but her face soon became surprised. "It doesn't bother you?" she asked, frowning. "That you will never be considered in the high ranks of a Malfoy anymore? That you won't be given the power and the money?"

"_She's worth more than all of that_," he wrote to her, nodding.

"She must be a very special girl," Narcissa deduced, smiling briefly.

"_In every way_," he replied, smiling. He wanted to say more, but it bothered him that he was having such an in-depth conversation with her over paper. He had always wanted her to speak to him face to face, to treat him like her actual son. Now he finally gets his chance and he can't say a word.

"I'm sorry," she told him, suddenly.

Shaking his head, he scrawled out, "_For what?_"

"So many things," she admitted, sadly. Her eyes fell then, with her face curled in despair. "I was never there during the important moments in your life, not really. I wasn't motherly or loving toward you. I never spoke to you when you needed to talk and I can understand why you would go to Hermione's mother for that," she told him, tearfully. "But of everything I've done, there is one thing that I can't feel worse about."

Feeling a chill run down his back, he stared at her with dark eyes. "_What did you do?_"

Inhaling deeply, she lifted her tear stained face to look directly at him. "I told Skeeter about you and your girlfriend. I gave her the photos and I told her your story," she admitted.

Draco felt his blood run cold and his face drain of colour. He jumped up from the bed, losing his parchment and quill in the process. He felt his throat strain while he tried to yell at her but nothing came out. His arms flailed around angrily, while he glared at her viciously. How could she do that? She had almost destroyed Hermione's friendships; both of their reputation had been irreparably damaged. The entire Wizarding world thought they were traitors to their side; they would forever be shunned because of it.

"I'm sorry," she told him, standing up from the bed. "Your father would always show me the pictures; he would rant about how you were ruining us. He would go on and on about how you were decimating the Malfoy name and would one day bring us down to a level lower than dirt."

Swallowing, she reached out to him, startling him with her need for being motherly, which he pulled away from. "But when I looked at the pictures, Draco, all I saw was your happiness. She's so beautiful, darling. And the way you are with her, the way you look together. I know it was stupid, but I just didn't want you to have to live a life of secrecy. I never told Skeeter you were a traitor, I told her that you and Hermione were best friends and that you were worried about hurting the people close to you. She blew it completely out of proportion and I know you were both hurt from the outcome, but that's not how I intended it to be."

Wringing her hands, she bit her lip anxiously. "I just- I wanted you to have at least one person with you when everything changed. I could see it in you, Draco. I could see that you loved her dearly, and how much it hurt for you to be away from her during the weeks you spent at home. It was wrong of me to tell people, but I thought that if it came out, you and her could have a real friendship, or relationship, whichever. I just wanted you to be happy and I knew that having her would make that happen," she tried to explain, her face pinched in anguish.

"She never meant to hurt you," Niona said, breaking into the conversation as she saw Draco stop pacing and simply stare at his mother in disbelief. "She made a mistake but she had good intentions."

Shaking his head, Draco walked over to the bed, picking up the parchment and hurriedly writing a message. "_Hermione's friends turned their backs on her; I was shunned from my house. I was attacked by a bunch of students, ready to **kill** me for being her friend! My father is out to kill the love of my life, in the process getting me possessed by a demon, and it's all because my mother suddenly wanted to be MY MOTHER!_"

Frowning, Niona shook her head at him. "I realize you're angry and that things have happened, but please try and understand what she was doing. Imagine how things would be if she hadn't have told. Would you and Hermione still be getting married?"

"_Yes,_" he replied, nodding vigorously. The real reason they were getting married was because he didn't want to marry Parkinson, but he wasn't about to tell them that. He wasn't entirely sure if he should trust them just yet. He was standing with a woman that, while yes she had saved him, she still hadn't explained why she was helping him out. He glared at both of them, trying to convey just how very pissed off he really was, only to be frustrated when he realized neither of them knew him well enough to decipher his feelings through his expressions

"Well, I'm sure some good came out of it," she tried, looking at him hopefully.

Sighing, Draco shrugged. "_I found out my other best friend wasn't evil and Potter and Weasley aren't exactly enemies anymore_," he wrote, frowning. "_Plus I can spend time with her openly, instead of running around behind people's backs._"

"You see," Niona told him, brightening. "Not all bad came of it. Now apologize to your mother, she doesn't deserve your silent attack," she commanded.

Rolling his eyes, Draco turned to her, seeing that she really did look quite upset about what she'd done. Lifting the parchment, he scrawled out his apology. "_I realize you weren't trying to get me or Hermione killed and I'm sorry for blaming it all on you. We shouldn't have kept it secret in the first place and you were only trying to help._"

Narcissa nodded, smiling briefly at his message. "I really never meant to hurt you," she told him, shaking her head. "I haven't been the best mother to you and I wanted to make it up somehow. I went about it all wrong, but I am glad that some good of it has come."

"When are you to be married?" Niona asked, excitedly, changing the subject easily.

Draco stared at her warily, not sure if he liked the idea of telling her such a big secret. He was saved however when the door opened slowly. His attention diverted to who might be coming in, especially since there had been a fairly powerful locking charm placed on the door by Niona earlier. When his best friend stepped inside, her eyes sharp with suspicion and her wand drawn wrapped in her tight hand, he just about fell over. He meant to make a noise letting her know he was there, but she seemed to figure it out quickly enough because she was in his arms a second later.

He hadn't realized it but he had run across the room, meeting her halfway and picking her up off the floor. Her legs wrapped around his waist instantly while her arms encircled his neck, her face buried against his shoulder. His arms held her around her back, hands pressing her as close as she could get, forgetting that he was standing in a hospital room with his mother and healer. Her hand moved up, fingers wrapping around the ends of his hair as she held him tightly. "I was so scared," she mumbled, sounding vaguely like she was crying.

He rubbed her back through her coat, trying to calm her fears and wishing he could tell her it was all going to okay.

Leaning back, she smiled at him, her mouth quivering. "You look much more healthy," she told him, her knuckles grazing his cheek.

Lifting a hand, he ran it over her cheek, pushing away her tears. He stared up at her, half smiling. He licked his lips, wishing he could speak, to say anything to her.

"Your voice is gone," she deduced, nodding. "And you're going nuts because of it."

Chuckling, he nodded. He didn't seem to realize it might not look entirely appropriate that she was wrapped around him as he was far too happy to have him with her. He had missed her terribly, hardly ever thinking of anything else. He'd spent his nights wishing he were beside her, needing her there with him to make it all hurt less.

"I missed you too," she told him, as if she were reading his thoughts. "The Head Tower was empty without you. And I could hardly ever sleep," she admitted. Her fingers brushed under his eyes, touching the dark circles that plagued his face, sighing. "Nightmares," she said, knowing exactly what it was. "Why didn't you take a Dreamless Sleep draught?" she asked, shaking her head.

Not only would that be admitting defeat, but it would also mean that he had to ask for help. He relied on himself for most things, and the only person he trusted enough to help him through problems was Hermione. Part of him knew that if she were with him, the nightmare would go away, but he couldn't say that to anyone. Plus, Niona might've asked what the nightmare was about and he didn't want to tell her. He'd rather suffer through the exhaustion than admit that he couldn't overcome a simple fear in his dreams.

"You are far too stubborn for your own good," Hermione told him, huffing. "I don't care if you feel foolish about asking for help, I bet you haven't slept properly in seven days." He looked away, confirming her assessment. Sighing, she cupped his face, making his eyes connect with hers once more. "The minute we find a bed, you are getting some serious sleep," she told him, her mouth incredibly close to his, just begging him to kiss her.

He heard a chuckle then, reminding him that others were in the room.

"She certainly can read you," Niona said, grinning from ear to ear.

Draco frowned at her, cocking his brow.

"Don't be rude, she was just pointing out the obvious," Hermione told him, rolling her eyes.

Turning back to her, he made a nodding motion to his mother with a dark expression. He didn't know how to explain it to her with just his face, so he settled for making it known that Narcissa had done something that effected them both. He would have to wait until he found parchment and a quill and they were completely alone before he would go into it fully, or until his voice came back, whichever came sooner.

"We'll talk about it later," she told him, her eyes landing on the women sitting on the bed with her hands clasped tightly. "Perhaps you'd like to put me down though," she suggested, smiling.

Smirking, he looked up at her from the top of his eyes. Had he his voice, he would make a couple comments on their position, but he settled for simply conveying the amused assessment through his expression.

Blushing, Hermione sighed. "That is so not appropriate right now," she muttered, shaking her head. "Down," she commanded.

Sighing, Draco listened to her by unlocking his arms from around her and waiting for her legs to unclasp from around his back. She didn't seem to realize what she had done when she jumped and blushed crimson as she unwrapped her limbs from around his waist. Placing her in front of him, he took her hand in his, needing her to stay close.

Hermione stared at Niona for a moment, her brow furrowing as her eyes widened. "I know you," she said, lifting her hand to point uncertainly. "You're... You're Andromeda Tonks!" she exclaimed. "You're Tonks' mum." Turning she stared at Narcissa. "And her sister, and his... his aunt," she deduced, nodding. "Yes, you look exactly like the pictures Tonks showed me."

Draco's brows lifted with confusion as he stared at the woman across from him. He realized that she did bear a startling resemblance to his mother now that he was paying attention. It made sense too, not only that she wanted to help but that she had spent so much time talking to Narcissa. His mouth fell open as he looked back and forth from his mother to his aunt, confused about the names. He turned to Hermione, mouthing something that would likely look like gibberish.

"Fiona? Liona?" she asked, her brow furrowing. "Niona?" she wondered, getting a nod and then a motion to his aunt. "You told him your name was Niona?" she queried.

"Niona Brontë," she admitted, nodding. "You're right, I am Andromeda. However, if I was going to help Draco, which Dumbledore asked me specifically to do, I couldn't let Lucius know my real identity. So I used my sisters original initials and made up a new name. I used Brontë because it reminded me of the muggle author who wrote Wuthering Heights," she admitted, sighing. "And I simply adored the name Niona," she told them with a chuckle.

"You were working with Dumbledore?" Hermione asked, her brow furrowing. "I've been trying to speak to him about Draco for a week," she half screeched.

"He was helping me with a cure to the problem Draco was having," Andromeda told her, shrugging slightly.

Draco tugged on her hand, tapping his wrist worriedly.

"We're running out of time," she said, nodding. "Look," she said, turning back to Andromeda and Narcissa, "I don't know what to say except thank you and-" Turning she looked up at Draco.

His gaze landed on his aunt for a moment, wishing he could thank her for all that she had done to help him, were it not for her he probably wouldn't be getting out of St. Mungos. His eyes then moved on to his mother, feeling sorry for how their only meaningful conversation had ended. He didn't hate her for what had happened and he hoped she knew that he really didn't blame her for what had happened, he had just been angry. He had spent a long time trying to find out who had worked to sabotage him and Hermione, only to find out it was his mother trying to do a good deed.

"And Draco wants to thank you Andromeda," Hermione said, nodding. "He owes his recovery to you and he can't thank you enough for that," she told her, keeping her eyes on Draco though. "He wants his mother to know that he doesn't... blame her," she said, her voice obviously curious. "In some ways he wants to thank her, he had just let himself react with his mouth, rather than his brain." She chuckled then, smiling. "He does that often, really."

Snorting, Draco rolled his eyes at her, tugging on her hand as if to remind her that they had to leave.

"Right," she said, nodding. "Is there anything else you need?" she wondered, letting go of his hand so she could button up his shirt quickly. He looked around the room, not the least bit fazed at having her hands work his shirt closed. She took something out of her pocket and a moment later she had a suitcase open on the floor. Pulling out his winter jacket, she re-shrunk the case and placed it back in her pants. Standing up, she held his jacket open for him to put on before buttoning it up too, he gave her an amused smile and a raised brow.

"What?" she asked, sighing. "You can do it to me but it's funny when I return the favor?" she asked, grinning.

Wrapping his arm around her shoulder, he kissed her temple gently, closing his eyes as the heavenly scent of lilacs filled his senses. Her arm wrapped around his waist, holding him close. He looked up, gracing Andromeda and Narcissa with a farewell smile as he and Hermione walked toward the door.

"Wait," a voice called, causing them to still.

They turned to see Andromeda walk forward, glancing back at Narcissa for a moment. "Where will you be staying?" she wondered.

Hermione glanced up at Draco, finding he was at a loss too. "We'll find a place," she replied.

"I assume you will be staying away for the entire Christmas break," she said, nodding slowly. Holding her hand out to Draco, she glanced down at it, making sure he knew to shake it. Frowning, he took her hand, only to feel a small piece of parchment pass over. "I'm sure you will both be very safe away from the school. I hope everything turns out well for the both of you; you make a lovely couple. Draco," she said, turning to him smiling, "I regret that we were never able to meet earlier, and I hope that can be changed in the future."

He nodded to her, finding the idea to be rather nice. Slipping his hand into his pocket, he dropped the paper inside, trying his best to keep it safe and hidden. Hermione tugged on his hand as she looked outside into the hall. Draco glanced back at his mother, smiling at her once more and hoping she caught the sincere thanks in his eyes. He couldn't wait to get out of St. Mungo's and find a warm bed for him and Hermione to curl up in and sleep away the next few days. His thoughts were cut off however when he heard a voice call out to him darkly.

"Now son," Lucius drawled, sounding angry but calm. "You weren't planning on leaving without a proper goodbye, were you?"

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**A/N** _Hey guys! I hope you're enjoying this! And another part of the puzzle had unraveled. As you see now it was Lucius who had the pictures taken and Narcissa who spilled their story. One meant to hurt them while the other was out to help them, you see. _

_Now all that needs to be taken care of is the mystery of the journal thief._  
**Clue:**_ One person took the journal, but another is sending it around the school. They are from different houses, the same gender, but seperate alliances. _

_I'd really like to know what you all think, please leave a review!  
Much Love,  
-**Amanda**_


	24. A Break For Freedom

**Review offering insight to the story**:

"_I cannot tell you how much I absolutely love your story. I've been in a bit of a Harry Potter craze lately, so I came on to the site to find some decent Harry Potter fanfictions to sate my craving. Yours did more than that. I was hooked instantly. Your style of writing is simply wonderful. You flow between the action and events, the inner dialogue and explaining how the characters feel. The reactions, the words, the detail is all perfect. I can feel it happening as if it were real, see it perfectly in my mind's eye, and the way the characters respond is real. I love the way you portray the characters. The story, the plot, is magnificent and I absolutely love the moments between Draco and Hermione. Touching, fun, intriguing... perfect. The story has me checking back for more whenever I have a free moment, because I simply must know more. You are a great author, and I cannot wait to find out what happens next_." - _**BladeDream**_ of FanFiction net.

**Thank you to the following reviewers of** _Chapter Twenty-Two_ - **_Reflections_**: _spotzplaya888, Blackonyx21, DracoAngelofLight, TomxFeltonxWifeyx3, sasmith, Lady Brianna, Michelle Felton, niic smiles, seaweedqueen, Amatheriel, shiro, angelrider93, Phoenix flame01, abcdefgh, Jennifer-Marie, Weaselbee, Princess.Duh., onepapergirl, aNdIe, Mrs. St. John Allerdyce, smileenov, nelygirl, Caligirl-HPLVR, mskiti, Kait-Lynn23, **Hyuga Kyuuketsuki, HelloLonely, evelyn-halfmoon, aniesmiles, PiperPaigePhoebe01, Zarroc, classicjs, Abraxnia **_and _especially** Princess de la Plume, Classic Pairs Shipper, **_and**_ galloping-goose._**

_**Growing**_

_Chapter Twenty-Three_

_A Break For Freedom_

"Now son," Lucius drawled, sounding angry but calm. "You weren't planning on leaving without a proper goodbye, were you?"

Draco felt his heart stop, his face drain of colour, his back tense at the voice of the man who would gladly take everything away from him. Swallowing, he turned to Hermione whose eyes had widened while her mouth fell open in shock. Just as quickly, she had gathered her wits though, pulling her wand out and masking her face while lifting her chin defiantly. Taking her cue, Draco straightened himself, he was only worried about the fact that he had no wand. They turned together, not letting go of each others hands, if anything his grip on her tightened.

"He was going to send you a farewell card," Hermione replied, rudely.

Draco tried his best to smirk, hating that it wavered. He did, however, enjoy how much Hermione sounded like him with her quick quip. It was obvious his father did not enjoy her sense of humor though, and it worried him how calm Lucius seemed.

Tsking, Lucius walked forward from his place twenty or so feet away. In one hand was his cane, grasped tightly, while the other lifted into his coat with slow arrogance, pulling out his wand. His eyes moved back and forth from Hermione to Draco and then surveyed the two burly men sprawled out on the floor, likely from when his mother and aunt came to break him out. They must've hit them with some serious stunners for them to be out so long.

"It amazes me, Draco, how you can continue to spit in the face of my hospitality," he said, a frown etched in his brow. "Here I am, paying for your hospital needs because you went and got yourself possessed, of all things, over a silly little girl with a bad case of needing to be put in her place." Shaking his head, he continued walking forward, his shoulders broad and tensed while his face slowly morphed into a very vicious scowl. "I'm getting very tired of your little rebellion, Draco, and I want it to end right now."

Draco wished nothing more than to scream in his face, shouting that it wasn't a rebellion, it was a way of life. He didn't want to be the Malfoy heir, he didn't want to follow Voldemort, and he sure as hell did not want to follow his father's orders any longer. Of course, he could say nothing because his voice had failed him at the most inopportune time. He settled for looking at Hermione, conveying his every thought, knowing that she was the only one who could read him so well.

Smirking, Hermione turned to look at Lucius with a cocked brow. "He wants you to know that if you still consider this a teenagers rebellion, then you've obviously been inhaling far too many fumes from the shit Voldemort's been feeding you," she spat, a ferocious edge to her words. "Whatever father-son get together you had planned for his return will sorely be missed," she told him, sarcastically, "but I believe we have other plans."

Snickering, Lucius shook his head at her, a sneer plain for all to see. "You have a wild imagination, little girl," he told her, his eyes thinning. "Either that or I've allowed Draco to be in your presence much longer than I should have." He wasn't far from them now and Draco briefly considered backing away, but knew it would look cowardly. His father's eyes landed on his, a malevolent glint in them that made his hand around Hermione's tighten almost painfully. Her head lifted and he could feel her staring at him, but he chose to show his father his defiance by not looking away, it would be admitting defeat even in a small way.

They stood there, Lucius stopped walking when he reached a cane's width away. Their eyes connected in a childish game of who'll look away first. Draco was adamant on being the winner, even while his eyes began to burn with the uncomfortable need of being replenished from the drying air. Silver met silver, pure hatred met defiant love, and a father fought his son. It would seem silly in one way, but part of Draco knew that this was a test of strength in some ways. Who had enough will power to keep their eyes open longer, to stare down their opponent with enough defiance to keep the pain in their eyes at bay.

Hermione's finger brushed over his hand, alerting him that they weren't alone any longer. The men had woken from the floor, looking confused but gathering enough sense to realize their boss was in a standstill with who they were supposed to be guarding. It was Lucius who looked away, only to motion for the two guards to pull out their wands and ready themselves. While Draco felt a private victory, he knew his father would play it off as if it never happened, or it didn't matter because he had the upper hand by then anyway.

"Alright Draco," Lucius said with a sigh. "You've had your fun, you've enjoyed your little backlash at Daddy," he snarled. "Now step away from the mudblood and take your rightful place by my side. Hopefully, we can clear up this little mess you've created. The first step is getting rid of the evidence," he told him, his eyes landing on Hermione with malicious hate. "And you will certainly have to prove your worth to our Dark Lord if you wish you keep living in this world."

Swallowing, Draco stared at him through annoyed eyes. Shaking his head, he turned to look down at Hermione, sighing. There was a distant part of him that believed his father actually cared about him, and that was why he was working so hard to get him back on his side. But his mind clearly told him that it was Lucius' worry over the shame Draco would cause with his acts of defiance that were really the reason behind his father's words of prodding to leave Hermione. It was almost pathetic how much Lucius wanted to believe that deep down Draco was only doing this to get back at him, that he would just shrug his shoulders as if it were nothing and go back to being the prat he had been.

It amazed him how his father could so blindly think that Draco was as heartless as him; that he could watch him stand with Hermione, holding her hand with all his might, and still think Draco was on the Dark side. The only part of him that was dark was the empty areas where his parents had ignored him; the places inside of him that felt unloved and insecure. But that was all Lucius' doing, though Narcissa wasn't completely forgiven either. It was Hermione who stopped him from falling into the hate his father held out for him to absorb; she was there to catch his tears and make his fears melt away. While hate and darkness had warped Lucius' mind and he tried his best to do the same to Draco, his son had found someone to block out the evil and replace it with every opposing feeling there was. She contradicted Lucius' hate with love, his darkness with light, his beatings with care, his harsh words with poetic spiels of the days where he would be free.

This was the end of Draco and Lucius, father and son, and the beginning of Malfoy vs. Malfoy. In the end, people would be hurt, the innocent that roamed the halls would likely be harmed in crossfire. He wondered what his mother would do when she realized what was happening, would she close the door and resume her place by the window? Or would she grow that backbone that she had been proud he possessed and join her son in his tragic battle against his father? Would his aunt join? Could she afford to shatter her cover?

Hermione stared up at him, her eyes beginning to water as she realized what he was thinking. He was young and likely foolish in thinking he could take on a man who was far more absorbed in magic than he. Lucius had years on him, two decades in fact, and he was heavily laden in Dark Magic. He had no qualms about killing, even if the victim was his own son, and he surely wouldn't hesitate to do so when he realized who Draco was picking to stand by. This could be the end of it all; one last fight with the man who had controlled him all his life. This was what it all came down to, wasn't it? Defying his father for the girl who had stood by him through it all; his best friend, his fiancé, his love.

There was no going back, no pretending he's a Malfoy anymore. That was all in the past and he didn't want it anymore. He wanted to marry Hermione on Christmas, to fight in the final battle against Voldemort, to live his life as a supporter of what he really believed in. He wanted to go fishing with Henry in the summers, to spend Christmas' with the Granger's, to live in a nice home with Hermione, free of ridicule and hate. He couldn't run away from the future he wanted and he wouldn't flee to the past he hated.

His own eyes burned and he sincerely hoped that he didn't die while fighting his father, because that wedding looked beautiful in his mind now. There were no Death Eater's, no dying friends, family, or mentors. It was just him and Hermione, exchanging the vows he had worked on for hours on end, trying to get just right. It was Hermione smiling at him, with tears of joy in her eyes, and a warm glow to her face as she realized he truly did love her. It was cheering and kissing, rings and loving, a marriage that meant more than any before, a binding of souls for all eternity.

Leaning in, Draco cupped her face tipping it to his. His eyes locked with hers, seeing the surprise in her hazel orbs and knowing that his own silver ones were worried but hopeful. When his lips finally met hers in a warm embrace, he felt his eyes shut from the heavenly feeling of bliss that ran through him. His fingers slipped into her hair, keeping her close to him as he caught her bottom lip between his, gently grazing his teeth over it. Her fingertips ran over his cheek before her hand slipped to wrap around his neck. She tasted like honey, warm and sweet against his tongue. He could feel her tears against his face and he tasted them a moment later, it took him a moment to realize he too was crying. His hand fell, wrapping around the one she had holding her wand.

He pulled back, staring at her while he sucked in the air he had forgotten to breathe while loving her lips with his own. He tried his best to smile, tried to get the three words that hung at the end of his tongue to come through his eyes. His eyes fell then, landing on her puffy, pink mouth, making him grin proudly. Kissing her forehead quickly, he pulled her wand from her hand and pushed her into the room with his mother and aunt, placing a strong locking charm on it, silently. He stared at the door for a moment, hearing her scream at him to let her out while she sobbed that she could help. He placed his hand against it for a moment, closing his eyes as he knew she would be hurt and terrified.

Clenching his jaw, he gathered himself, this was for them; for all the days he had grown up needing to be cared for but only being ignored, all the years Hermione had to make up for. He dried his eyes and readied himself for the inevitable while turning to face the man who used him solely for show. Lucius stood there, staring at the place Draco had been while he kissed Hermione, a look of shock covering his features. He didn't seem to realize that he was leaving himself open for attack, too thrown off that his son had kissed a _mudblood_. One thing he could thank his father for was teaching him how to do magic without his voice, sadly his wandless work wasn't as potent.

Lifting his arm, he thought of the many charms he had learned and settled on a hurling hex. He could've grinned when Lucius' bodyguards had been lifted from their positions behind him on either side, but he had to keep himself level headed and knew that his real opponent was his father. It was the loud sound of the two meaty men hitting the ground with a crash that brought Lucius from his thoughts, shocking him into action. He almost looked worried but he recovered quickly, letting the sneer that was often present come back to his pale, sharp face.

"Don't tell me the little mudblood won't be joining us?" he asked, frowning. "Oh but I really had something marvelous to show her. I guess I'll just have to wait until you're left motionless on the floor and she comes barreling out to weep over her beloved," he spat, cocking his brow.

Draco hated that his voice wasn't working at all, hated that he had to listen to his father go on about things like he actually meant something, lording over everyone with his snarky remarks and biased views. However, because he knew all Lucius could read from his emotions was defiant hate, Draco answered his words with a silent _Stupefy_, that unfortunately Lucius had been able to avoid. However, it did catch an innocent bystander who came out to see what was going on. That in turn caused a flurry of healers to appear, only to shriek in worry and run off to get help. Lucius didn't appear to be fazed by this and Draco did his best to ignore the pounding feet of people running from their rooms to the exits.

"You never appreciate my humor, Draco," Lucius told him, smirking. Using a hovering charm, he picked up a cart in the hallway, throwing it at Draco with incredible force.

Barely ducking out of the way in time, Draco had to roll across the floor to avoid being crushed with the heavy item. Catching his balance, he found himself on his knees, staring at the end of Lucius' wand. Looking up his father's arm, he stared at the malevolent expression on his face.

"Last chance," he told him, turning his head with question.

Draco stared at him for a moment, letting out a defeated sigh. Performing _Accio_ in his head, he couldn't help but grin when the cutlery sitting on an abandoned trolley flew at Lucius, gauging him in the back with astonishing speed. The butter knife managed to puncture his shoulder, sending him into a howl of agony while the fork sliced into his hand, actually going straight through to the other side. This is what threw Lucius' spell off course, causing his _Incendio_ to catch Draco's chest, rather than his face.

Jumping from the floor, Draco was able to perform _Augmenti_, the water hitting the flames before it could do too much damage. His coat was thick so there wasn't much damage there, however the fire had licked at his throat and he could feel the raw pink flesh burning still with the aftereffects. He forced his hand away from himself, knowing it would only hurt more if he touched his wound. He righted himself, wincing as he watched his father rid the metal utensils from his body. Blood dripped to the floor from his hand with alarming vigor.

Draco was captivated for a moment, knowing he had caused the elixir of life to drain from his own father's body. Before he could feel even a bit of remorse, he was shocked to see Lucius transfigure the fork and knife into two long daggers. His arm went back, poised to throw them dangerously at Draco. While jumping out of way, knowing his silent _Protego_ nearly never worked, he felt one of the blades enter his chest, just below his right shoulder while the other punctured his left thigh. He hit the wall painfully, causing him to wince with the pain his head now felt added to the torture his chest was undergoing, plus the stinging of his leg wasn't making it any better.

He could hear his father's sharp footsteps as he approached and couldn't help but feel a scowl cover his mouth when he found the angry face of Lucius leveled with his own. He still held his cane which rather amused Draco, as he kneeled down beside him, his eyes roaming over his work at harming his son. Draco used his shoulder to push himself into a leaning position against the wall, it alleviated the pain in his chest but caused a sharp twinge to erupt behind his eyes; he wondered if he had a concussion which would then mean sleep was a bad thing. Would that really matter though? Lucius was likely going to kill him, or worse beat him into oblivion while he made him watch as he killed Hermione. The thought left a foul taste in his mouth and for a brief second he worried it might be blood; he couldn't bare the idea of blood ever exiting his mouth again, And since his demon possession aftereffects had been cured, it could only mean horrible things if he were coughing it up again.

Lucius was staring at him with an unreadable expression, his eyes thinned and his mouth set in a grim line. The hand holding his wand rested on his knees, still poised on his son though. Draco could feel Hermione's wand held loosely in the arm trapped underneath his side, aimed uselessly at his own leg. His eyes were rather blurry and he hoped to Merlin that it wasn't tears blocking his vision but simply the knock to the head that caused it. He could feel the blood pouring out of his chest and a smaller portion of it spilling from his leg.

His eyes widened as Lucius reached out, his hand wrapped around the hilt of the dagger. Clenching his teeth, he tried not to cry out as his father pulled it out of his chest quickly. Draco didn't know whether this was to cause more pain or simply cause his inevitable death to speed up. All he knew was that the blood that had been flowing doubled, possibly tripled, and he could see it now forming a dark puddle over his coat.

"You should've played your part, Draco," Lucius told him, his voice low and disappointed. "I gave you all the tools, I taught you the rules of engagement, and all you had to do was keep your eyes firmly on the prize. Instead you let them fall off path, landing on a girl who was destined to lay dead beneath your wand, not pressed against your mouth in a show of adoration," he spat. "You were my son, and as a Malfoy you had a position to play. Had you done what I told you, listened to what I said, then you would never have gotten yourself into this mess." He sneered, angrily.

"Now I have to clean it all up for you and make this entire thing disappear. I have two choices, Draco. I can clean up your wounds, kill the girl, and _Obliviate_ you of the whole thing. From there, I will keep you at home until the Final Battle, where you will then take your place on my side. Or I can let you bleed out here on the floor, collect your filthy little girlfriend and take her to Voldemort to use as he sees fit. I have no doubt that she will be used as a distraction for my fellow Death Eaters until her place as a pawn to destroy Potter comes into play. In that way, I must thank you for your stupid genius, as I will further myself in the ranks and be rid of a traitorous son at the same time," he said, darkly.

Draco felt his chest ache while his breathing slowed, his mouth fell open while he tried to gasp for breath. He moved his lips, almost proud to hear the whisper of words exit his mouth. Lucius surprisingly leaned in to hear him, turning his face to the wall while Draco gathered up his strength to speak to his father. "If I gave you the chance to kill her," he breathed, "she'd rip you limb from limb and celebrate on your grave, before you could even think to stop her. But since I'd rather her not have murder on her conscious, I'll do it myself." As Lucius turned to stare at him with anger, Draco ripped the dagger from his leg and plunged it into his father's shoulder, sitting at an angle. "When you find yourself in hell, I will be the one laughing at you from the heavens, dear father."

Jumping from his position beside Draco, he cried out in agonized fury. Blood spurted up over the glinting silver covering Lucius' hand as he reached up for it. Inhaling deeply with an evil sneer, Lucius pulled the offending piece of weaponry from his shoulder, placing a white handkerchief over the wound. He turned back to his son after letting the dagger drop and lifted his wand with a shaky grasp.

Grinning up at him, Draco simply stared at him with a sense of victory in his clouded silver eyes.

An explosion sounded in the background, with Hermione stepping through the smoking hole of the hospital room. She took one look at Lucius before lifting a wand Draco recognized to be his own to send a hurling hex at the man before her. Her mouth was turned in an angry scowl at her eyes radiated with savage rage. He worried for a moment if it was partly directed at him for locking her away, but could care less seeing as they now seemed to be out of danger, at least having to do with Lucius.

Hermione ran to him, dropping the wand in her hand on the way, and bent down to see how injured he was, her hand covered the blood seeping through his jacket. Her eyes looked around frantically, as if she were searching for the information to cure him. His aunt appeared on his other side, her hands slipped into her pockets and re-emerged with a few bottles. "Trick of the trade," she told him, trying her best to smile but coming out with a twitching frown. "Pockets let me have any potion I'm in need of."

Hermione had started working his coat open, her shaking fingers working quite quickly except for her few fumbles which made her wince and shut her eyes as tears threatened to pour out. Draco tried to calm her, doing his best to smile, and managing to speak in a very scratchy whisper. "Slow down love, we aren't doing anything like that until the honeymoon."

Letting out a chuckle that was cut off by her sob, she shook her head at him. "I see your voice has returned somewhat, along with your cocky attitude," she joked, but he could see she was pleased. She pulled back his coat and basically ripped open his shirt, gasping as she stared at the deep, bloody wound situated just inches above his piercing. The browny red liquid pooled out of him, making his skin appear so much more white than he remembered.

Lifting his hand, he cupped Hermione's face, running his thumb lazily over her cheek. "We made it pretty far," he told her.

She leaned in to hear him, her tears slipping down her face and landing on his coat. "We still have a lot farther," she told him, her voice shaky.

Swallowing, he brushed a tear from her face, staring into her watery hazel eyes, rimmed red with damp black lashes framing them. "We had nine days to go," he told her, inhaling sharply. He felt something cold against his chest where the dagger had entered and felt his back arch painfully. A moment later the same feeling collected in his leg, causing it to twitch with agony. Shaking his head, he closed his eyes as he clenched his jaw tightly. As the pain slowly defused, he felt his body come back down to the floor.

"I'm out of blood replenishing potion," Andromeda told them, her tone wavering with concern. "I- I'll go find another healer who has some," she assured, scrambling off the floor. She backed up, tears falling down her cheeks. "I'll be right back," she told them as she turned and ran for help.

Looking down, Draco was relieved to see the wound had closed itself, pink flesh fused together to stop the blood. Despite that, however, he could feel himself slipping away; if Andromeda wasn't back soon, he wouldn't be celebrating his and Hermione's wedding in the near future, or ever. His breathing was becoming increasingly laboured and she caught on to this, he could see it in her eyes that her fears had tripled, along with her own breathing.

"Keep your eyes open," she pleaded, her hands over his face. "Just concentrate," she told him, nodding. "Think about something... Do you remember your first summer with me?" she asked, her eyes widening as she thought back. "Remember when mum told you, you had the nicest teeth she'd ever seen? Do you remember how proud you were?" she asked, her voice choked.

He tried to smile, he loved knowing that her mum was proud of him for taking care of his teeth. Over the years, he had never forgotten to brush or floss. It was as if he were doing it just to impress Jane, whose opinion he valued greatly. It seemed funny now that he thought of it, how he would grin at himself in the mirror, feeling a little more superior simply because she had told him that he had incredible teeth. He hoped she knew how much she mattered to him, and he regretted not calling her mum more, simply because she was that to him. For three years she had been the maternal force in his life, and forever she would be the mother that never gave birth to him.

She sniffled, trying to inhale air only to let it out with a sharp, thick whoosh. "Or when you came down after fifth year and we learned how to skateboard together? Do you remember when you jumped off the board because that little yappy, ugly poodle from next door got in the way and you were scared you'd run him over?"

He hated that dog, it used to chase him around down the street when he took Helena for walks. It bit his ankle once, drew blood and everything, it took all of him not to kick that annoying little beast. He remembered when he used to ride his bike down to the store, with Hermione on the handlebars, and the annoying little dog would chase after him until its own would yell at Draco for encouraging it. All he did was stick his tongue out and yell that the buggy little creature was too slow. It wasn't as if he threw a treat and told him to catch up, in fact, he often told it to screw off, in much more colourful words of course.

A smile tried to grace her lips but failed, though her eyes held a fond reminiscence of their days of perfection over their summers. "And last summer when we went bike riding down to the docks at midnight, and you convinced me to skinny dipping with you?" She chuckled, tears still falling from her eyes. "I lied, I looked," she told him, laughing as her chest began to constrict with sobs.

He wanted to tell her he remembered every moment, every breath, every single word she said. He had memorized their time together, be it in their haven at the Granger house, or while they were at school. If it involved her, he could practically recite the moments they shared. His mind flashed with memories of friendship, of their never-ending bond with each other. He could hear her voice in his head, as if his mind were playing old memories; words of condolence, of understanding and solace, of comradery and adoration. Promises that one day things would be better, that they would be free of restraints on their friendship, and he would be allowed to show his true colours.

His chest was hardly moving now and he couldn't feel his fingers to move them around on her face, her tears just overlapped his hand, dripping down. He could see their wedding in the future, as if it were playing like a memory in front of his eyes. He could hear the minister asking them for their exchanged words of love, and then his own voice reciting all that he had written on parchment while pacing his room with a quill dripping from his hand. He could see her beautiful face, shining before him with a smile that would forever be engraved in his heart. He wanted that so badly; he wanted her for all his life. Why couldn't he have that? Why didn't he deserve that small reward?

His hand fell, just barely latching on to the necklace around her neck, pulling out the ring as he forced his fingers to hold it tightly. "I memorized my vows," he told her, his voice was breathy almost sounding as if he was on the verge of coughing. His eyes were half closed, no matter how hard he tried to see her face. "Do you want to hear them?" he wondered, the words forming in his head beautifully.

Hermione's hiccuping sob ripped at his heart, he felt her move to lay down beside him, her head resting on his arm as she stared up at his face. Her hand brushed against his face, knuckles running over his cheek in a calming motion. "We are going to walk out of this," she told him, though she didn't sound sure of her words. "We are going to enjoy a laugh at your father's expense while you lay sprawled out on a comfortable bed, enjoying your freedom for all it's worth." Sighing, she nodded with her tears slipping out soundlessly. "And we are going to be married in that chapel, with our only worry being Chapel Moths," she murmured, her eyes squinting as her mouth puckered in a cry. "So you have to save those vows for when we're standing at the altar," she told him, her voice pinched with emotion. "Because there is no way you are leaving me here alone, Draco," she told him, shaking her head. "I- I need you, please... I-"

Her eyes darted away, landing on Lucius as he stood up and approached them, holding his shoulder and growling with anger. Narcissa stepped out of the room, walking quickly to grab Lucius' arm, pulling him away. Turning, he glared at her, his arm lifting to strike her down and away from him. While Lucius stalked towards them, Draco was surprised to see his mother pick up the wand Hermione had abandoned, but not to see that she was too shaken and obedient not to react to her husband. It was then that his aunt came around the corner, her hand clutching a bottle of his survival.

Draco was on the edge of life, hardly keeping his eyes open or the air pumping into his lungs. His father didn't look like he was going to give him a chance to make a decision this time; even though he already knew what his answer would be, he wanted to give the people around him time to do something. He wondered if his aunt had her wand with her, she looked shocked into submission where she stood. It wouldn't take much to finish him off but Draco wondered if perhaps that wasn't Lucius' intent, since his wand seemed to be moving back and forth from him to Hermione. Draco could already see the spell sitting at the end of his father's lips, his favorite.

"**_CRUCIO_**!"

And then it all ended, with a bright flash of light that burst from the wand to spread torture through its victims body. Draco's eyes were forced shut from the light and his hand clutched at Hermione who wrapped herself around him, sobbing. His heart clenched while he heard the screaming in his ears, the pained cries of a man who had to bear the consequences of what he had done to his wife. At the last minute, Narcissa had risen from the ground, screaming out the Unforgivable at her retched husband. It wouldn't kill him, unless she kept it on him for a long time which Draco was sure she wouldn't, but it would certainly leave him in a bad state.

Andromeda had run across the ground, her footsteps couldn't be heard at all because of Lucius' agonized roaring. She sat beside Draco, pressing the potion against his lips but finding he wasn't responding. He could hear her distantly now, telling him to just swallow, to just let it slide down. He felt Hermione massaging his throat, trying to get the liquid down to save him. He was too far gone to feel the pain he should have from the burn he received earlier. He choked on the potion, sending it back up before it slipped back in.

He was fairly sure they were too late, his eyes were clouded around the edges now as he stared at the roof, seeing a curl of Hermione's chestnut hair and a wisp of his aunt's blonde as they asked if he could hear them. Then, his mother's face passed across his vision and he sighed at how angelic she looked smiling. He wondered briefly if his chest would rise again and regretted never telling Hermione his vows.

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**A/N** _Don't kill me! lol. I'm going away to get my cat from out of town, it was left behind by my dad. So I'm posting this before I go. I'd love to come back to a bunch of reviews, so please tell me what you think. Another chapter will be up soon, so I won't leave you all hanging in suspense. Please review as it is greatly appreciated. Thank you all for reading, I can't tell you enough how proud I am that you enjoy my story._

_Much Love,  
-**Amanda**_


	25. Now What?

**Review offering insight to the story**:

"_I'm glad Narcissa made the right choice. It is time for her to really be Draco's mother. Perhaps it will heal some of the pain his father caused. I don't believe that you're going to give Draco's life away. Draco is the one and only person who has the right to live, the need to live. Not only because life had been cruel to him, no, because Draco is a symbol. You made him a symbol with your wonderful story. Draco is the symbol for loving deeply, for never surrendering, for standing up against the evil. You made Draco a real hero, who's not like Harry -chosen to change the world- no, who made the choice on his own. That's why I love the Draco you created. He's not forced to be the good guy, no, he chose to be good. That's a very important fact. And I'm sure that you're aware of it. Even though this story is a fanfiction and a fantasy-story, it gives back hope that every man or woman is able to influence his or her fate. You make people think about their surroundings and not to accept everything they are told but to think it over twice and to make their own choices. That's what I love about your stories. You make me believe in the good of mankind._" - **_Abraxnia_** of FanFiction net.

**Thank you to the following reviewers of** _Chapter Twenty-Three_ - **_A Break for Freedom_**: _seaweedqueen, cle be, terri, evelyn-halfmoon, onepapergirl, niic smiles, whiteroseblackrose, anie smiles, sasmith, Logan's Princess, Maybaby525, Aurelia Malfoy, Amatheriel, Phoenix flame01, Kait-Lynn23, TomxFeltonsxWifeyx3, livelife-loveHGDM, Weaselbee, DracoAngelofLight, smileenov, Mrs. St. John Allerdyce, bethygirl94, Blackonyx21, LadyBrianna, peanutbutterfluff, Secret Thought, Michelle Felton, annabelle4242, Andie, Caligirl-HPLVR, Sam's Firefly, Arwen12323, Lote22, Sises, **PiperPaigePhoebe01, classicjs, mskiti, angelrider93, scooterrg, jk rowling the 2nd, Steelo, Lady Rachel Lupin, SlytherinDarkPrincess, Charmed Life19, Odi et amo., Zarroc **_and _especially** natyslacks, Classic Pairs Shipper, Hyuga Kyuuketsuki, Abraxnia **_and_** galloping-goose.**_

**_Growing_**

_Chapter Twenty-Four_

_Now What?_

_The sun was close to setting on their day, as they walked through the giant amusement park he had convinced her to drive to. It was nearly three hours out of town, but since it was his last day with her, she had agreed. Their seventh year was just a month away and tomorrow he would be on a train with Wiltshire as its destination. Jane and Henry had forgone going with him, saying he and Hermione should do something on their own for a change. Draco was amazed that Henry had allowed Hermione to take the car, but he was more than glad he had._

_Their trip over had been interesting, filled with Hermione trying to convince him her music was much better than his favorite wizarding group. Finally, they gave up and just listened to whatever the radio played. It was incredibly early in the morning, which he didn't mind, but Hermione looked more than a little tired. They picked up breakfast at a fast food restaurant, where Draco questioned how healthy it could be if it was made that quickly without magic._

_Besides that road bump, they enjoyed a three hour drive filled with laughter and Draco's never ending excitement to try some of the much more dangerous rides. He had psyched himself up this time and he was sure he wouldn't say no to any of the much more dangerous looking machinery. Hermione, however, was a different story. She was adamant not to go on any ride involving twisting, flying, or turning upside down. She was willing to stand slack jawed, holding her breath, and clutching her heart on the side while he went, but she wasn't going to go on any of the rides with him._

_Of course, being Draco, he convinced her to go on a number of rides, much to both of their enjoyment. It was the last ride that she was absolutely, vehemently against. They were on their way out of the park when Draco had spotted the last call sign for the ride that would be closing soon. Seeing the incredible looking journey ahead of him, he tugged on Hermione's hand, pulling her toward the gate where he had to stand to get on. Hermione, seeing what he was doing, shrieked. Pushing her heels into the ground, she shook her head and shouted that there was nothing he could say that would get her on that ride._

_"Live a little," he told her, grinning as he managed to drag her closer, her feet pushing up dirt._

_"I can't," she replied, shaking her head. "There is no way! I haven't researched it at all! I don't know what the mortality ratio is!"_

_Snorting, he frowned at her. "Hermione, people go on these things all the time. How many times do you hear about someone dying on them?"_

_"Nobody knows the stories because the people who know them are dead, Draco. And they're never found, because they've floated off somewhere that nobody has been able to find them!" she screeched irrationally, her voice high._

_Chuckling, Draco rolled his eyes. "I have never heard of anyone dying from a," stopping, he stared at the sign and read out what the ride was, "hot air balloon ride!" _

_"You didn't even know what it was!" she shouted, panting with fear. "I'm terrified of heights, this is not a good idea!"_

_"Come on," he pleaded, stopping them in front of the ride and taking both of her hands. "Just one time," he asked, his eyes wide with hope. "I'll never ask you to do anything like this again, I swear. It's my last day, do it for me!"_

_An inner battle raged in Hermione's head for nearly five minutes before she finally gave in and agreed to go in the balloon. Draco nearly jumped for joy, but settled on grinning like a kid who had just won a lifetime supply of sweets. The guy running the station joined them in the balloon, needing to operate it, and locked up the basket door. It took him a little while to get them off the ground, making Hermione even more apprehensive._

_To calm her, Draco moved them to the side, placing an arm on either side and pointing out that the basket was high, reaching to the middle of her ribs. She leaned against it, content with Draco keeping her safe from falling to the side or backwards. Her fears set in when they had reached twenty feet, making her breathe heavily. But Draco put a hand on her stomach, whispering, "Just breathe. I'd never let you fall, would I?" It vaguely sounded like a question, but he said as if he knew the answer._

_Shaking her head, Hermione let out a quivering breath and forced herself to calm down. Covering Draco's hand, she swallowed her fears and let herself sink into the freedom that flying possessed. The ground slipped away, becoming nothing but colors now. Blinking yellow lights, green for grass, brown for houses, and grey for streets. The air rushed around them, cooling her skin. Closing her eyes, she breathed in a deep gust of escape._

_Draco wrapped his other arm around her, pressing his mouth near her ear. "Open your eyes," he whispered. Listening to him, her breath caught at the sight of the sun setting before them. Throwing the sky into a beautiful array of black, blue, red, orange, and yellow. The clouds were thick puffs of colour rippling out over the sky, while the sun was a glowing orb so far and yet so close. It was unequivocally incredible, so much so that Hermione actually felt her heart swell with seeing such beauty. Her head fell back, resting against his chest while her eyes danced over the scene before her._

_Draco placed his cheek against her head, taking it all in with a warm grin. He felt her hand squeeze his, as if thanking him for making her come along. He had seen sun sets before, his Quidditch practices and off time involved him riding his broom during all hours. But he was almost certain he'd never seen one this beautiful and he was more than happy to share it with her, because nobody else would see it like they did. Others would think it silly, or not worth spending money on an air balloon to see when they could watch from the ground or fly their broom. Nobody else would see the freedom behind flying alone together, with the sun setting in the d__istance. This was all them; all Draco and Hermione in its perfection._

_The beams of colour and sunlight played across their faces, lighting them up and warming them from the chilling air. A sparkle gleamed in their eyes, be it from the sun or the peaceful happiness, neither knew. The two friends embraced in the emblazoned sunlight until it fell down from their sight, leaving them with the dark, cold night and the questions of tomorrow. But just for that moment, they had all the answers and nobody could take that away._

Draco woke up with a start, feeling confused and disconcerted. He thought he'd be greeted by the heavens upon opening his eyes, but instead found himself in a glamorous bedroom. He had no idea where he was, he couldn't recognize his surroundings, nor that of what he could see out the window. A few sparse trees were all that met his eyes through the tall, wide glass rectangle sitting directly across from the bed. On one side sat a ridiculously beautiful mahogany dresser that stood tall against the dark, rich wood walls. Sitting on the other side of the window was a majestic looking desk, ink and parchment sat waiting as if to be written with at that very moment.

He found himself laying in a deep mahogany bed that matched both the dresser and the desk across from him. It was framed nicely by a tall backboard with four rectangular posts at each corner. A beige silk blanket lay across his body, reaching to his bare stomach. His head was surrounded by pillows, almost too many for him to turn his head. Wherever he was, the person had obviously spent a great deal on just this room alone. There was a thick, fur rug beneath the bed, fanning out over a polished wood floor; he couldn't help but think Hermione would have something to say toward both animal and elf rights.

Pushing himself up, he noticed that his limbs were sore, which made climbing out of bed uncomfortable. He pressed on, however, needing to see Hermione and find out where he had been taken. The last think he remembered, besides the dream he had reliving a moment between him and Hermione during his last day the past summer, was seeing his mother smile down at him as he felt himself dying from the fatal wound to his chest. He had many questions having to do with why he was still breathing and how he ended up wherever he was.

As he approached the door, a limp in his step, he stopped when it opened, revealing his aunt Andromeda. Her face brightened, with her eyes becoming wide and her mouth curling into a smile. "You're awake," she said, stating the obvious.

"And breathing," he told her, rather mockingly as he cocked his brow. "And soon I'll be walking while looking for Hermione, care to join me?" Without waiting, he continued on his way to the door.

"Not so fast," she told him, stepping in his way. "I want to look you over quickly. Please, " she added, seeing his frown.

Sighing, he walked back to the bed, trying his best to suppress his wince at the feel of his limbs straining. Sitting down on the mattress, he opened his arms for her to do whatever was needed. Pushing him back by his head, she pulled her wand out and mumbled something before moving it up and down over his body, from head to toe. "You've been out for three days," she informed him. "You lost a great deal of blood and we just barely got the potion in you in time. That's my fault," she told him, her eyes pinching with apology. "I thought I had filled the stock in my jacket, but it seems I hadn't put enough Blood Rejuvenation Potion in, because the moment I needed it, I reached in to find I was coming up with nothing."

"I thought your coat could bring up anything," he mumbled, finding his voice scratchy and thick.

"It can, sort of. See, we have to stock this area with a number of potions and then when we need it, I reach in and my hand appears in that shelving area where the potion I need is. However, if I haven't put enough there, then I can't take any out because it's bare. Which happened when I was trying to save you; I was just lucky that Healer..." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "I can't seem to recall his name. It started with a 'J'. Jack... Jon... James... Jas- It was Jas something. Jasper!" she exclaimed, nodded. "He had exactly what I needed; he was just standing there holding it for me. Curious, really. I've never seen him before."

"Yeah," Draco mumbled, nodding. "Curious."

"In any case, you were worn out and really quite tired," she told him, sighing. "We gave you a Dreamless Sleep draught because Hermione told me you were having nightmares," Draco frowned, making her smile slightly, "and then we simply waited for you to wake up. I'm afraid Hermione had a concussion she had been ignoring for the past few hours, she-"

"How? When? She didn't fall when I pushed her, did she?" he asked, frantically, his eyes wide.

"No, no, nothing like that," Andromeda assured him. "It seems she had a spat with a girl at school before she came to the hospital and hit her head on the wall. Instead of going to the Hospital Wing though, she came to St. Mungo's to get you," she said, frowning. "So, I treated her head and then sent her off for a nice rest. Like you, she hadn't been sleeping properly and only recently woke up. We had to tear her away from you and force a sleeping draught down her throat though," she informed him, frowning at the memory.

"She's awake though?" he asked, trying to sit up only to be pushed back down. "Can I see her?"

"When I'm done," Andromeda told him, continuing her movement with her wand. "It looks as if you're doing much better. Everything appears healed and your sleep deprivation has been solved," she said, nodding.

"Where am I?" he asked, looking around.

"This is Tonks Cottage," she told him, grinning. "It was the destination of the safe house I gave you on that paper I passed to your hand when you walked into the hall. I realized you and Hermione needed to go somewhere and at the moment things are very volatile for you." A concerned expression ran across her face and she began wringing her hands, reminding him of Narcissa.

"Is my mother here? What happened to my father?" he asked, worried.

A look of fear flicked across her face and she rose from the bed. "While you were out in the hospital, Hermione, Cissa and I all crowded around you to help. Lucius bounced back from the_ Cruciatus_ curse much quicker than we had assumed-"

"Likely because his Dark Lord had put him through it before," Draco spat, rolling his eyes.

"Yes," Andromeda said, clearing her throat. "Well, in any case, he managed to wrap his hand around your mother's ankle and I'm afraid he was able to apparate out of St. Mungos," she said in a quiet rush, biting her lip.

"But there are wards against that," Draco reminded, shaking his head with wide eyes.

"The staff took them down so that Aurors could apparate in after getting a distress call because you and Lucius were battling," she informed him, grimacing. "He took a chance, I guess, and was able to take her with him. I believe he thought you dead, which is why he didn't take you too."

"She's- He- She's gone," he whispered, hoarsely. His mind drew a blank and for a long moment he wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel.

"I'm so sorry," Andromeda told him, tears appearing in her eyes. "We hadn't realized he was crawling over until it was too late. She was standing right above you, wringing her hands and telling us that you were strong, you were going to pull through it. And then she was gone and we looked back to see that he had disappeared too."

"He- He'll kill her," Draco declared, nodding with wide eyes. "She's probably already..."

"Don't you say that," Andromeda shouted, shaking her head. "Don't you dare think that, Draco!"

"I know my father," he replied, looking up at her sadly. "He won't allow her to live, not after she disobeyed him."

Lifting her hand, Andromeda covered her mouth before her legs gave out and she fell to the floor, sobbing. "I just- I just got her to talk to me again," she cried, her shoulders shaking. "I finally had my baby sister back."

"I finally had a mother," he whispered, more to himself than her.

Part of him wanted to go to his aunt, to tell her it would all be okay. However, Draco knew his parents, whether or not he was close to them, he understood their thinking. Lucius would not stand for having a disobedient wife and though Narcissa would likely beg for forgiveness and promise never to act out again, his father would not allow himself to be publicly ridiculed for her backlash against him. Not to mention the fact that Voldemort would not approve of Lucius having a wife who would most likely betray them; hence, if she wasn't already dead, she would be soon.

He felt empty and confused, not understanding how he was supposed to react or what he should think. He needed Hermione, he had to tell her what happened and know what she thought of it. She would help clear the cobwebs from his mind and possibly allow his real emotions to come out. He'd never been very good at showing them to anyone but her; there were many occasions with Jane and Henry, however other people rarely saw his more emotional side. Unless of course it came to Hermione, like during the moment she had died in the Great Hall from the _Nico Violenter_ curse placed in an envelope. Then he had been too consumed with concern, fear, and agony to hide how he felt. Seeing his aunt crying on the floor over her most likely deceased sister, he felt his heart tug, but his limbs remained motionless.

Slowly calming down, Andromeda wiped her face and stood from the floor. "People are looking for her and Lucius," she told him, swallowing. "He'll be charged with attempted murder for you, and you've been dubbed as fighting in self defense, as has Hermione. Dumbledore does not believe you should come back to school until at least after Christmas break though. He wants you and Hermione to stay hidden as there has been word going on about you." She smoothed out her dark dress, gathering herself after becoming so undone before him. He had to admit, she somehow made her tears and outburst look dignified in that moment, instead of pathetic like his father would've dubbed it.

"What's that?" Draco asked, his brow furrowing.

Gulping, Andromeda walked to the door but turned back, her face pale. "Apparently there has been a bounty placed on both of your heads. One hundred thousand galleons to whoever brings the 'traitor' to Voldemort, and double as much for the 'traitor's mudblood', dead or alive. It's created a huge ruckus with people, seeing as it was actually printed in the paper.

"The Ministry has sent out word that if you are seen, you are to be taken into custody for your own safety. However, Dumbledore feels that they might end up getting you killed instead. Especially since not all those who follow the Ministry are _good_. Instead, we were going to have you stay here. Dumbledore thinks it would be best if you moved around though, to keep from being tracked.

"Hermione already wrote to your friends at school, so you don't have to worry about them. Your next place of residence has not been revealed to me, just to be sure. And you will have my daughter with you, as well as Remus Lupin to keep an eye on you both. They're currently sitting in the den, if you'd like to see them."

"I'd rather see Hermione," he replied, quietly.

"She's with Remus and Nymphadora," Andromeda told him.

Nodding, Draco stood up from the bed and followed her out, stretching his legs as much as he could without feeling a jabbing sensation in his left thigh. While walking through the halls, he found the cottage was rather large to be called such. He must've passed three bedrooms, a kitchen, and a dining room before he finally found his way into the den. Hermione had been sitting on the couch with a cup of tea in front of her, listening to a woman Draco didn't recognize chatter on about something. It was Lupin, Draco knew him to be his former professor of DADA, that motioned to him for Hermione to see.

Much to his enjoyment, Hermione bounded across the room and jumped into his arms. Ignoring the strain of his chest and shoulders, he lifted her up, burying his face in her shoulder and simply held onto her for as long as he could. She was whispering things that he couldn't hear while crying quietly, her arms over his shoulder with her hands on his neck and her legs wrapped around his waist. His legs were starting to give out on him, but instead of letting her go he simply lowered himself to the ground. He vaguely heard amused chuckles coming from the adults in the room, but his main attention was on Hermione.

She pulled back, forcing his head from her shoulder, and stared down at his face, tears still slipping out of her eyes. Reaching up, he wiped them away, smiling at her gently. Her hands rested on his shoulders, causing him to realize he wasn't wearing a shirt. Leaning in, he brushed his lips against her cheek before resting his chin on her shoulder again. "Tell me I'm wearing pants," he whispered.

Chuckling, Hermione hiccuped with laughter. Hugging him again, she nodded her head. "You are," she told him, grinning.

Laughing, he rubbed her back, soothing her tears away. He simply held her for awhile, closing his eyes and rocking her until her sniffling stopped. He could feel her fingers deftly drawing random shapes over his back, while her hair tickled his neck and fell across one of his arms. He had the urge to kiss her neck but restrained himself from doing so, since he wasn't sure what level they were really on. Were they together now, or had she only kissed him back at St. Mungo's because she believed he was putting on a show for his father? Did she love him, or was she just infatuated with him? He seriously needed to talk to her, but seeing as this wasn't really the time, he clamped his mouth shut.

She smelled heavenly and having her pressed up against him, warmed him down to his toes. He couldn't even feel the pinching in his leg or the pressure on his chest, all he could feel was her head on his shoulder, her arms encircling him, her fingers on his back, her legs around his torso and her body against his chest. Her breath hit his neck, making him shiver slightly.

"Promise?" she asked, making him grin.

She always knew what to say and how to say it. Just that one word brought up the greatest of memories, even though it was a sad day. "Promise," he replied, knowing that it was usually in reverse and liking that for once she was the one who needed to be reassured, seeing as it always felt the other way around. Her grip on him tightened briefly, making him chuckle.

A throat cleared in the background, making them part slightly and turn to see the three adults smiling at them, amused. "Perhaps we should discuss what will be happening from here on," Lupin suggested.

Nodding, Draco lifted himself from the ground, bringing Hermione with him. She blushed at how she was wrapped around him, realizing others had seen. Her legs dropped from his waist leaving her standing close to him. Her hand wrapped around his, while he walked them to sit on the couch sitting angled to the one Lupin and the girl Hermione had been speaking to were sitting on. Andromeda stood beside the nameless woman, one of her hands resting on the woman's shoulder.

"Wotcher Draco," the woman said with a friendly grin.

"Hello," he replied, clearing his throat uncomfortably.

Chuckling, Andromeda shook her head. "Draco, this is your cousin Nymphadora," she explained.

It clicked then, reminding him that his aunt had already told him her daughter was sitting in the den with his former professor. He looked at her, realizing she looked nothing like his aunt, making it rather hard to believe. Slowly though, her face changed to become pale and heart-shaped, with dark, twinkling eyes. Her hair became a light blonde shade, falling to her shoulders. Her smile became much more familiar now and he recognized it looked very much like her mothers.

"I prefer Tonks," she told him, before frowning distastefully. "I hate being called Nymphadora."

"Tonks it is then," he replied, smiling shortly. "I'm fine with Draco, and I hate being called Malfoy. Let's not speak of my middle name at all, too."

"Why, what's your middle name?" she wondered, her eyes wide with wonder.

Frowning, Draco shook his head. "What's your middle name?" he asked.

Paling slightly, she sat up straight. "Never mind then," she told him, quickly. "Remus, tell them the plan."

Lupin sat forward, Draco noticed his clothes were looking quite shabby and wondered if it had anything to do with the full moon that had passed recently. He remembered the fuss his father had put up over Lupin being a werewolf back in third year. Draco himself never really saw a problem, given that he hadn't harmed anyone and looked to stay as far from students during that time as possible. He never really thought much of the man after he had left though, and he briefly wondered how he was doing now. Deciding not to think on it too much, he turned his attention to the man in front of him as he spoke of a very thought out idea they had to follow.

"For the time being, Tonks and I have been assigned to watch you. As far as we know, you are to be returning to school in January at the start of school after Christmas break. Until then, you will be moving around on a regular basis. At least every three days, you will be placed somewhere else to live.

"You are not allowed to leave without one of us accompanying you, and more often than not you won't be allowed to leave at all. Because a bounty has been placed on your heads, we have reason to believe that many people will react without humane thought. There are no exceptions to this, we need to be with you always. As such, you will have separate rooms, Hermione will be bunking with Tonks, while Draco and I will have a seperate bedroom. This will also be helpful should there be an attack.

"You cannot call each other by Hermione and Draco while we are out in public, so I suggest you come up with different names now and learn to get used to them. Hermione mentioned that Draco wanted to stop at Gringotts, which can be done. We can go there when we've finished, but this will most likely be your last trip to the Wizarding world for awhile.

"You will not be able to write to Harry, Ron, Luna Lovegood, or Blaise Zabini while you are away. That means no writing to them at any time, not even if you see Hedwig on the window sill. They know you are safe and if they have questions about you, they will go through Dumbledore to us. Harry will be going to Ron's for Christmas, seeing as you won't be there Hermione and he doesn't want to be completely alone.

"Do you have any questions? Requests? Or the like?" he asked, sounding very formal and in control.

Clearing his throat, Draco squeezed Hermione's hand, feeling her engagement ring press into his hand, causing him to look down and then back up at her face. Smiling briefly, he questioned whether or not they should say anything about it. It could be disastrous if they tried to leave on their own, and it might be good to have them there to keep watch. She bit her lip for a moment but then nodded her head. However, before Draco could get a word in, his cousin beat him to it.

"By Merlin, Hermione," Tonks exclaimed, her eyes wide. "Are you aware that a diamond the side of my eye is on your finger?" she asked, her mouth agape.

Chuckling at her friends exaggeration, Hermione looked down at her ring with a wide grin. "It's beautiful isn't it?" she asked, nodding.

"Quite," Andromeda told her, nodding. "In fact, it was my mother's. Before her, it was my father's mother's. A Black heirloom like no other," she told her affectionately.

"But that would mean it was a-" Tonks stopped, turning from her mother back to Hermione. "Are you..."

"Engaged?" Hermione asked, smiling. "Yes," she told her, nodding. "In fact..." Looking up at Draco, she nodded for him to continue.

"We're getting married on Christmas," Draco confirmed. "This Christmas. We have the chapel booked for around nine and we've already spoken to the friends we have attending. Hermione has her wedding dress, but I'm not sure if she packed it." He squeezed her knee as he looked over at his aunt, getting an appraising smile, before he glanced at his grinning cousin.

"Luna can bring it," Hermione assured, nodding. "Oh, and Ron asked if there would be food. I told him there would be," she said, looking only at Draco, who had turned his full attention to her.

"Sure," he agreed, nodding. "I don't think we can go out for something to eat, but I'm sure we could have food ordered in from a restaurant or something. I don't know if the chapel does catering, I didn't think to ask."

"I don't even know why he'd ask, he would've just finished Christmas dinner with his family," she said, frowning.

"I've seen the boy eat, Hermione, it's not that unbelievable," Draco replied, smirking. "What do you think Luna will get us for a gift?" he wondered suddenly, his brow furrowing. "I hope it's not a toaster. Do you remember at Aunt Ellie's wedding to Jack? She got like six toasters."

"I doubt she'd get us a toaster, she was raised solely in the Wizarding world. I don't even think she knows what a toaster is," Hermione reminded, her nose wrinkling.

"That's true," Draco said, sighing. "It would be better than something that does nothing though. Like a Nargle Deflector or something." His eyes turned up to the side as he frowned at the possibility. He could just imagine his odd friend handing him a contraption with the best of intentions, but having both he and Hermione stare back at her blankly. It brought a wry smile to his face as he thought of how the quirky Ravenclaw girl would explain it to them.

"Mm, you have a point," she said, frowning. "Maybe she won't get us anything, that would be fine."

Remus made a sputtering noise, causing their attention to divert to him. "You're seventeen," he practically shrieked. "You are far too young to be marrying. You haven't even graduated yet!"

"I'm eighteen," Hermione told him, one of her hands resting on her hips. "And there are a lot of explanations for what we are doing that I don't really believe you are privy to hearing," she told him, in her rather bossy tone. Quickly remembering who she was talking to, she shrank, but only slightly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. Look, whether or not you approve, Draco and I will be getting married on the twenty-fifth. Now I'm sure you think this is a bad idea, not only because of timing, but it's happening, and you're just going to have to accept that."

"Does Harry know about this?" he asked, sitting forward with his palms gripping his knees. "Because he surely did not tell me his best friend was marrying his archenemy."

"Former," Draco corrected, sitting back against the couch. "We don't hate each other anymore."

He didn't exactly know how to explain his relation to Harry Potter. They weren't enemies, but he surely wouldn't call them friends. They weren't just acquaintances either, and would certainly be in each other's lives for, well, ever. It was expected that Hermione and Harry's friendship would never dwindle, as it had already stood the hardest of tests and came out on top. And whether or not Draco and Hermione worked out romantically, he was completely sure that they would always have some kind of relationship. But he and Potter were a whole other story, he briefly wondered if they would ever consider each other friends, or if they'd just put up with each other throughout the future.

"In any case, he never told me you were engaged," Remus exclaimed, staring at Hermione. "You're still young, and I have often considered you quite brilliant. But I must admit, in this moment I'm feeling a little like you've lost your mind." It appeared rare that Remus Lupin looked flustered, but he seemed really quite confused and out of his element. It was as if Draco was watching an uncle tell his neice not to do something; not quite with a father's edge or understanding, but still with a family's protectiveness.

"Harry never said anything because he wasn't supposed to," Hermione informed him, her chin lifting. "Draco and I are marrying out of our own choice and whether or not you like it, you have no say. I know things look bad for us right now, but we don't need a lecture. We need your patience and understanding, and we'd appreciate a little courtesy. After all, this is our wedding, you should be congratulating us."

Draco could tell that she really needed his approval on this, though he didn't know why. Although, Hermione had always placed a lot of stock in what her mentors thought of her. He had always considered them to be Dumbledore and McGonagall, but he could now see that Hermione thought quite highly of Remus Lupin too. It brought up memories of when Sirius Black had been killed and he found himself holding a sobbing best friend as she told him all about how someone she had looked up to and praised for being such a kind and thoughtful person to Harry had been killed for no reason. Her parents couldn't understand anything she was saying through her tears, but he had been able to decipher every word. It took awhile, but she had slowly been able to open up much easier to his death. Like Sirius, Dumbledore, and McGonagall, Hermione held a great deal of respect for Lupin, and Draco sincerely hoped that he would show her enough care to accept her decision.

Clearing his throat, Remus stared at her for a moment before nodding shortly. Standing up, he placed a hand on Hermione's shoulder. "You have always been a resourceful and intelligent girl, so I shouldn't doubt your reasoning behind this, congratulations." He then held his hand out to Draco, much to his surprise.

Sitting up straighter, Draco shook his hand.

"You are a very lucky man, Mr. Ma-," clearing his throat, he looked uncomfortable for a moment, "Draco," he corrected. "I hope you and Hermione are very happy in your coming marriage."

"Thank you," he replied. "I'm sure we will be."

"Oh, I love weddings," Tonks exclaimed, jumping up to hug Hermione tightly. She pulled back, looking down at Hermione's stomach, "You're not- Are you?" she wondered, her brow creased.

Frowning, Hermione looked confused for a moment before she blushed with her eyes widening. "TONKS!" she shrieked, shaking her head. "Of course I'm not!"

"Sorry," she apologized quickly. "I didn't mean to insinuate anything. I just... If you were, I didn't want to hurt it."

"Well, I'm not," she replied, looking quite grumpy.

"So what will the arrangement be for our wedding?" Draco asked, directing his question at Remus. "Harry, Weasley, Blaise, and Luna are coming. They know where to meet us and at what time," he explained. "Somebody is going to have to tell Luna to get Hermione's dress, and ask Blaise to get my groom's robes ready for me. Oh, and we'll have to go shopping for our bands together," he told him, taking Hermione's hand unconsciously.

Sighing, Lupin tipped his head in thought. "I suppose we'll have to bring you in for the wedding, Tonks and I will keep watch in the doors," Nymphadora let out a sad huff at not being able to participate, "and when it's all over I guess we'll have to bring you back to a safe... Hotel of some sort," he explained, clearing his throat uncomfortably.

Draco turned away, feeling a flush creep up his neck, but turned back when he felt Hermione squeeze his hand. He found her smiling at him gently, which somehow calmed his nerves. Suddenly aware that others were in the room, he turned away, only to glance at his cousin and then his aunt, clearly avoiding Lupin for good reason. Andromeda smiled at him with an expression he could only atone to being motherly, which rather surprised him. Part of him though, was really quite glad to know that he had family out there that wasn't dark or cruel.

"Oh!" Tonks cried, grinning at Hermione. "No wonder you took such offence to the pregnancy comment. You two haven't- Well I guess that's normal, you are only seventeen. You know, I could've sworn I heard rumors about you though, dear cousin. And weren't you just engaged to that... Parkinson girl?" she asked, making a disgusted face.

"I'm not sure I like this line of questioning," Draco replied, cocking his brow. "Parkinson and I broke up, though I wouldn't really call what we had a relationship," he conceded, shrugging. "My father promised me to her when I was much younger and she seemed to believe a relationship was in order. It's a long story that I really don't want to go into." Smirking, he leaned forward, "But I will tell you that whatever rumors you heard are most likely true-"

"Draco," Hermione chastised.

"What?" he asked, feigning innocence. "I thought we agreed I could let people believe I was a Sex God?" he reminded, frowning at her destruction of his amusement.

"Oh honestly," she said, rolling her eye as she stood from her seat, tugging his hand to bring him along behind her.

"Don't 'Oh honestly,' me," he told her, moving to walk beside her and tipping a smirk down at her half-smiling face. "I could always prove the rumor true, you know," he suggested.

"I do believe it was you who said there would be none of that until the honeymoon," she reminded, sighing as if it was a terrible loss all due to him.

"Well that was said out of dying desperation," he replied, shrugging. "I was practically on my death bed, er, floor, and you were ripping my clothes off," he reminded. "What did you want me to say?"

"We all must pay for our slips of the tongue," she told him, turning a smirk up to him.

"Yes, slips of the tongue, about that," he told her, grinning.

In the background, he heard the amused laughter of his aunt and cousin; glancing back, he found Lupin staring at them with what could only be described as shock. He likely had never heard Hermione speak with such sarcasm, nor with such underlying sexual innuendo. It probably didn't bode well for their mentor-student relationship, but he could care less as he really needed to talk to Hermione alone.

He found them on their way back to his bedroom, or that was where he assumed they were going as they walked the same route. It was, in fact, the room she had been staying in, though it looked almost completely the same, except with the window, dresser, and desk sitting adjacent to the bed, rather than in front of it. She pulled him over until they were lying back on the bed, staring up at the roof, their hands still locked together comfortably.

"We need to talk," they said simultaneously.

Sighing, they looked at each other, a happy but uncertain smile tugging at both their mouths.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

**A/N** _The journals will be put on hold for the moment, obviously, but do not fret, I will return to them. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, as you can see, Draco is completely, and unabashedly ALIVE! So all threats thrown my way, may now be retracted, lol, in the form of an equally happy review. Sadly, my trip to pick up my lost cat was unsuccessful, and I am now nursing a great sadness over losing my pet of four years. I had my little Tiger since she was a baby, when she used hide beneath the curtain of my hair. Unfortunately, I am unsure if I will ever get her back, and am now a hundred and fifty dollars short. In any case, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, I certainly liked writing it. Let me know what you think, thank you all for reading._

_Much Love,  
-**Amanda**_


	26. The Simplicity of Loving

**Review offering insight to the story**:

"_Oh, wow. This story just keeps getting better and better, more and more heartwrenching and more and more focusing in their love. The way that Hermione could read Draco like a book without having to say a word is so beautiful, I can imagine it in my minds' eye. Everything in your world slips together so seamlessly, so effortlessly that it seems like a dream. It seems like the real deal; the way that Harry Potter should be. You make Hermione and Draco's love rise up to defeat anything. Everything you throw their way, they deflect, but nothing without hardships of love and pain getting in the way. Everything is so life-like, so real, and so vivid that everything you do is so beautiful. Your writing is absolutely amazing..._" - **_PiperPaigePhoebe01_** of FanFiction net.

**Thank you to the following reviewers of **Chapter Twenty-Four -**_ Now What?_**: _Laendra, pinkwands, bethygirl94, anie smiles, cle be, sasmith, LadyBrianna, TomxFeltonsxWifeyx3, CharmedLife19, Michelle Felton, Weaselbee, Phoenix flame01, Aurelia Malfoy, BlackOnyx21, smileenov, Steelo, Lionel, Eternally Night, Mrs. St. John Allerdyce, purplecrazy2291, melissa, Jessica, Sam's Firefly, foehead1121, ;, **Kitsune Kida, kie-san, onepapergirl, mskiti, Caligirl-HPLVR, cucu4cocopuffs, ayruh, Avenged7X-Angel, Emily, natyslacks, Zarroc **_and _especially **FlameWriter008**, **Classic Pairs Shipper**, **Princess de la Plume**, **PiperPaigePhoebe01**, **Hyuga Kyuuketsuki** _and_ **galloping-goose**._

_**Growing**_

_Chapter Twenty-Five_

_The Simplicity of Loving_

"You know, I've never lied to you," Draco said, his eyes staring up at the golden brown wood roof. "Not during the time we've been friends anyway, I can't say I had been the most truthful person during those first three and a half years," he added, nodding shortly. "This was really an omittance of the truth, if you think about it."

"I can agree to that," she told him, smiling lightly. "Since I _omitted_ too."

Turning slightly, he looked at her profile. His eyes trailed over the curve of her face, down and then up her nose and over to land on her lips; plump and pink. Then around her chin to follow the slope of her neck until he reached the top of her blouse, then he made his way back, noticing that her mouth had curved into an amused smile. "When did you realize?" he asked, his thumb grazing her hand. "I think I was slow on the uptake, but the feelings were always there."

The afternoon sun beat through the white curtains, showering them in a warm glow. He watched her for a moment as she turned her eyes to side, thinking over his question. Her fingers played with his between them, as if it were the most natural thing. And in some ways it was, it didn't feel like they were simply best friends but it didn't entirely feel like they were any different either. Her face was lit up by the light in the room, making her appear soft and beautiful. He questioned whether it was the light really, as she had always possessed a special kind of beauty.

"Over the summer, when we danced by the Lake, I began to question my feelings," she admitted. "But it wasn't until the recent few weeks that I knew just how deep my feelings ran. I didn't- I thought you only felt friendship though, so I didn't say anything. It was all quite complicated really."

Her head moved to the side, showing him the curve of her neck that he had wanted to kiss that night at the hospital. It felt so long ago and yet as if it just happened; whenever it was, the need for his lips to press against her skin was still there. Sighing, he rolled on to his side, staring down at her, watching as her mouth lifted into an easy smile, causing a warmth to run through him. Leaning down, he stared into the swirl of her hazel eyes, noting that her lashes looked unnaturally soft. His hand swept though the air, cupping her cheek so lightly it was as if he wasn't touching her at all. She turned though, pressing her face closer to his palm, showing his eyes more of her delectable neck.

"This should feel awkward," she whispered, staring up at him. "It should feel weird or I should be even a little uncomfortable." Shaking her head, she lifted her hand, running her forefinger over his lips. "But instead it feels right. Like this is how we've always been," she breathed, her eyes watching the trail she left over his mouth. "It's like I've kissed you every day but only recently felt it." Her hand lifted higher, palm cupping the turn of his jaw, fingers grazing his skin.

His arm was curved, holding him upright and giving his hand enough space to pick up one of her curls, wrapping it around his finger and enjoying the soft feel as it slipped away. "Do you think it's unrealistic for us to be in love when we've never dated?" he wondered.

"Our whole friendship was like one huge date," she replied, smiling. "I don't think we've ever been normal best friends," she told him, shaking her head lightly. "It was like everything we did, all that we said, it was all leading up to this and we just didn't know."

"Like we were playing parts in a love story," he agreed, nodding. "It's certainly had its tragedies," he commented with a sigh. "But... but I like how it turned out," he admitted, brushing his finger beneath her eye. "I think... even with all the sadness, the darkness, the outcome was still... the way it should be. Us. Always us."

It made sense, now that he really thought about it. Holding hands since they were just fourteen and fifteen years old. The way they'd cuddle while watching movies over the summer, or how often he would sneak into her room to sleep beside her. All those nights spent wrapped up in each other on the porch swing, talking about stars or silently sitting together. How often Jane commented that they were just about the most adorable couple she'd ever seen, which they often scoffed at really. Why all those girls who had flirted with him never asked him out; they all assumed he was Hermione's. And really, had they asked him, he would've said no; the summer's were all about him and her. Everything he did seemed to have a connection to her; it was as if they didn't lead seperate lives anymore. That thought didn't really bother him though, they'd been together for so long, being apart sounded foreign.

"What if it doesn't work out?" she wondered, staring up at him with worried eyes. "What if... What if love doesn't win in the end? You know, most love stories end in tragedy," she reminded, biting her lip.

"Ours won't," he assured, nodding.

"How can you be sure?" she queried, her hand moving to tangle her fingers in his hair. "I mean, if there really is a story teller that decides our lives, then couldn't he, or she, end us in one final and swift chapter? Couldn't they let the bad guys win and end us with a sorrowful lesson behind it. Like Romeo and Juliet," she suggested, nodding.

"Who?" he asked, lifting his brow in question.

"**_The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet_**, a Shakespearean play. Which was really adapted from a narrative poem called **_The Tragicall History of Romeo and Juliet_**, by Arthur Brooke. The play was, perhaps still is, the most famous love story in Western history," she explained, nodding.

"I'm glad we amount to them then," he said, grinning. "Do, regale me with its perfection," he asked.

Smiling, Hermione nodded. "It's a story about two warring families in Verona, or more importantly two members of each family. A boy, Romeo, fell in love with a girl, Juliet. Juliet is a Capulet, while Romeo is a Montague, and their fathers held a deep seeded hatred for each other, causing all those on each side to carry on this hate. In the beginning, Romeo is actually in love with a girl name Rosaline, who has sworn to die a virgin and never fall in love. She doesn't really matter though, because the moment Romeo sees Juliet, he falls head over heels, an in turn she for him."

"Of course," Draco said, chuckling with a smile.

"See, he first sees her at this party held by the Capulets, where he sneaks in unseen because it's a masquerade ball. In any case, he decides to risk his life by staying longer just to see her again. Wherein this beautiful scene is held over the balcony," she tells him, her eyes sparkling with remembrance.

"Does she know he's a Montague?" he wonders, laying his head down on her stomach and unconsciously twining his legs around hers.

"Mm, yes," she replied, nodding. "At the balcony she calls out, '_Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I'll no longer be a Capulet... Tis but thy name that is my enemy. Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, Nor arm, nor face. O, be some other name belonging to a man. What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet. So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called, retain that dear perfection which he owe. Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name; And for thy name, which is no part of thee, Take all myself._'"

"So neither cared that they were supposed to hate each other?" Draco asked, drawing random shapes on her side, over the white fabric of her shirt. "She considers the hate to be built up in just his name, so because she loves him, it doesn't matter to her," he concluded.

"Yes, exactly," Hermione agreed, nodding. "I knew you were Headboy for some reason," she quipped.

"Aside from my handsome good looks," he replied, shrugging. "Who else would take my place? Potter? Weasley? No, I look much better with the title," he decided, smirking.

Chuckling, Hermione shook her head. "Anyway," she said, sighing. "Because he's been overhearing her call out into the night, not realizing he was there at all, he replies to her, that for her love, he will denounce himself as a Montague, because love matters that much more." Shaking her head, she laughed lightly. "She doesn't realize it's him and he offers no name because he had just given it up for her. There's a lovely part about him saying he wouldn't name himself Montague nor Romeo if she disliked it. For a long while she wonders if he truly loves her and knows she cannot take back her own feelings because he's heard her say them."

"So what does he do?" Draco wondered, smiling as her hands ran through his hair, fingers dancing over his neck briefly.

"He tries to swear to her that he loves her; first he says he swears by the moon, which she vehemently tell him not to swear by," she replies, nodding.

"Why is that?" he asked, frowning.

"With each new cycle, the moon changes. It'd be like saying you loved me for only this time, but like the moon, your feelings would change and you would move on to someone else," she told him, quietly.

"Then what should he swear by?" he asked, lifting his head, resting his chin on her belly button as he stared at her.

"Don't swear," she told him, shaking her head. "It was too soon, too rash for them to talk of such things. So she bids him goodnight and tries to flee."

"And he lets her?" Draco wondered, looking surprised. "Well that's... unsatisfying."

Hermione laughs, shaking her head. "That's what Romeo thinks," she tells him, grinning madly.

Chuckling, Draco smiled at her. "And how does fair Juliet feel about Romeo's dissatisfaction?" he wondered, moving his way up so his face was hovering above hers.

"Well, she asks what he wants in return, to which he says, '_The exchange of thy love's faithful vow for mine_.' Of course, she says she's already told him, though she hadn't even known. Her nurse approaches though, so she goes to leave but then comes back to say that if he loves her as much as he says and he wishes for something eternal, like she, then he would marry her the next day."

"So quickly?" he asked, surprised. "They sure move fast in Shakespearean plays."

Chuckling, Hermione nodded.

"And what does he say?" he wondered, placing his head on her far shoulder, listening to the beat of her heart. Her arms wound around his back, one resting softly on his neck while the other sat comfortably near the side of his back, nails grazing his skin lightly.

"He tells her that he will meet her at nine for them to wed," she told him, nodding.

Draco's eyes sat firmly on her creamy neck, his fingers running over it softly, walking over the curve and lightly moving his knuckles over the space where her neck met her shoulder. "How do their families feel about their wedding?"

"They don't know it's happening," Hermione responded, shaking her head. "Friar Lawrence and Juliet's nurse are the only two to see their wedding. And neither Romeo or Juliet tell their friends or family; it was very private. The families hate each other too much and neither Juliet or Romeo want to risk each other for their families understanding." Sighing, she shook her head. "Later, a fight breaks out between Tybalt, Juliet's cousin, and Romeo-"

"Why?" he wondered.

"Because Tybalt was angered by Romeo showing up at the masquerade ball where he met Juliet, he had recognized him but was held off by Capulet," she explained. "He sends word to Romeo, saying he wants to duel, but Romeo was with Juliet all night so he had no idea and nor does he want to as they are now kinsmen."

"So what does he do?" Draco asked. His hand slowly moved the fabric of Hermione's shirt over her shoulder so he could lightly kiss the skin beneath where his cheek had lain. "She'll probably be upset if she finds out he killed her cousin," he decided.

"Exactly, which is why Romeo tries not to fight him, which only angers his friend Mercutio," she tells him, sighing. "So Mercutio tries to fight off Tybalt, who keeps trying to provoke Romeo. Neither understand that Romeo has married Juliet and therefore does not want to cause problems. So Romeo does his best to keep Mercutio from attacking Tybalt, which only causes a distraction and Mercutio is fatally wounded by Tybalt's rapier," she explained, sadly. "Dying, Mercutio says, '_A plague on both your houses_.' He believed it to be Romeo's fault too. Angry and upset, Romeo slays Tybalt for himself and Mercutio. And then, because of his deeds, the Prince of Verona sentences Romeo to exile."

"Does Juliet know?" he asked, glancing up at her before pressing a kiss at the curve of her neck, smiling as she shivered.

He melted in the feel of her warm, soft skin against his lips. After so long, he could finally taste her neck in all of its sweet flavor. His mind was wandering though, listening to her tale of tragedy while he tried to enjoy a simple taste of her luscious throat. He wished they could stay there all day, with her telling the sad story of lovers and him lavishing her neck with kisses.

"Yes, he goes to see her shortly before he leaves the city," she replied, nodding. "But not before her father can tell her she has just been promised to marry Paris in three days time," she informs him sadly. "She absolutely refuses to marry him, but it only causes her father to tell her he will disown her if she doesn't."

"So what do they do? Or, what does she do since Romeo has no idea," Draco said, his lips running over her throat, while his hand fell to entwine with hers.

He was relishing in his new found freedom with her; after what felt like an eternity of unrequited love, he could finally enjoy the finer points of being together. He had never really been with a girl like this before; there were moments where Pansy would latch her mouth to his neck, which ended quickly with him pushing her off of him forcefully. He was going off part instinct and some knowledge he'd gathered from movies he'd seen with Hermione. She wasn't complaining and so far he was enjoying himself immensely, so he assumed he was doing the right thing and kissing the right spot.

"Juliet goes to Friar Lawrence, asking him for a solution or she will kill herself," she tells him, sighing. "That's slightly familiar actually," she mutters, frowning. "In any case, Friar Lawrence dabbles in medicines and potions," she explains, nodding. "And he comes up with this idea for her to take something to make her appear dead. That way, her family will assume she was gone and place her in the family crypt. She wouldn't breathe, nor move, nor feel alive. And Romeo and Friar Lawrence were to come and get her when the potion wore off. Of course, Romeo was outside of town, so Friar Lawrence sent him a letter explaining their plan."

"Which obviously went wrong," Draco said, sighing as he moved his body to the other side of her, to press his lips against her neck once more.

"Yes," she said, chuckling as his mouth hit a sensitive spot just above her shoulder. "His message never made it to Romeo, and he instead learns of her 'death' from his manservant Balthasar. Completely broken, Romeo buys a potion and returns to Verona, going to the Capulet crypt in search of his wife, determined to follow her into death."

"Even though she's not," he murmured, pressing his cheek against her shoulder and playing with her hand deftly.

"When he gets to the crypt, he finds Paris there," she tells him.

"Why?" he wonders.

"I'm not sure, perhaps to say goodbye to the woman he was supposed to marry," she said, shrugging. "He believes Romeo is there to defile the Capulets' crypt and challenges him to a duel. Romeo, in turn, kills him and then goes to his beloved Juliet, drinking the potion and exclaiming, '_Thus with a kiss, I die_.' Of course, as timing has it, this is when Juliet awakens, only to find Romeo dead upon her. Friar Lawrence returns, telling her to come with him, which she refuses. He's frightened off shortly after, leaving Juliet alone with her lifeless Romeo. It's too much for her to see him dead, and so she takes his dagger and stabs herself." Her eyes widen dramatically as if she's seeing it happen.

"They loved each other too much to live without one another," he said, quietly, glancing up at her. "I can understand that."

"Me too," she told him, her hand running though his hair.

"So what happens after their death?" he asked, resting their hands on her stomach. "What great lesson was learned?"

"Well," she said, sighing. "The Capulets, Montague, and the Prince all go to the crypt, only to find Paris, Romeo, and Juliet dead. Friar Lawrence tells them all of the secret marriage, Romeo and Juliet's love for each other, and their plan to reunite away from the feud. Because of this information and the tragedy they caused, the families reconcile, ending their violent warring. And it all ends with the Prince of Verona saying, "_A glooming peace this morning with it brings; t__he sun for sorrow will not show his head._ _Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things;_ _Some shall be pardon'd, and some punishèd;_ _For never was a story of more woe, than this of Juliet and her Romeo_."

"It was quite sad, which is why it's likely called the Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," he told her, lifting his head to look down into her face. "Their love was short lived, but I wouldn't say it was wasted," he said, brushing a tendril of hair from her face, letting his finger skim over her cheek. "If I married you tomorrow and I died the next day, I would be content in knowing I had you for that day," he whispered.

His nightmare flashed in his mind and he did all that he could to push it away. He wasn't even able to marry her then, she hadn't even made it to the altar. A part of him was still worried that they might end in a tragic death scene like his mind had conjured up, but a much larger part assured him that they would at least make it through the ceremony. With the money out on their heads however, Draco was worried about their safety and just how long things would be so volatile. He wanted to think of the future in a sweet and blissful manner, but there were so many questions and worries surrounding it, it was hard to see anything good. Besides having Hermione by his side, all else seemed meaningless in comparison.

"That very well may happen," she replied, her hand running over his face. "I could die content now," she told him, nodding. "While we've had a rocky last few weeks, I can't tell you how nice it is to have you here with me now." Shaking her head, she closed her eyes briefly, but he caught the glistening of tears. "I feel like every other day I'm just barely having you. It's as if our story teller wants to kill me with worry," she quipped, her chuckle cut off by a sad sigh.

"I have faith in our story teller," he whispered. "I don't believe ours is a tragedy."

"No?" she said, quirking her brow. "And what is our story, Draco?"

"Romance," he told her, shrugging. "A little comedy from the lovely main character, and some entertaining drama from every specter. And there's tragedy of course, what kind of story would it be without it, really? But the fact that we come through all of that, I believe is a testament to the fact that we'll make it through all else," he told her. "Draco and Hermione, not Romeo and Juliet. Yes, we share similarites in different contexts. But our ending will be different; it will still possess that amount of love, but it won't end with death. Not mine and certainly not yours."

"I wish I had your certainty," she breathed, staring up at him as he grinned warmly.

"I'll share it with you," he replied, nodding. "After all, a marriage is about compromise."

Chuckling, Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing his body down until it brushed over hers. "I think our marriage will consist of many things. You know, the woman I bought my dress from told me that most marriages work out best between friends. At the time, I was vehemently denying that I adored you, but it makes sense now."

"Yeah?" he asked, tipping his chin to kiss her forehead. "It does, doesn't it? Especially between us, I think. We may not have had a regular friendship, but it's the best part of my life. It always will be," he assured, moving his head down, his cheek running over hers. "Do you doubt we'll make it?" he wondered, resting his head on her chest, his hands laying lightly on her sides.

Hermione's hand ran up and down his bare back, calming him with their reassuring movements. "Even if our relationship or marriage doesn't work out, we'll always be apart of each other's lives," she told him, nodding. "A promise is a promise, and I don't really think we could break it, even if we wanted to. We're too invested in each other to walk away."

Draco stayed silent for a moment, simply listening to her even breathing, the faint sound of her heartbeat reaching his ears. "Do you think people will accept us?" he wondered, his fingers gently brushing her delicate skin, slipping beneath the bottom of her blouse. "Not that I care, I'd gladly ignore them all for us."

They had already faced so much ridicule for being friends, he didn't want to think of how much it might increase when their marriage or relationship became known. Hermione had suffered most in the public eye, seeing as almost everyone was against her. He only had the boys to worry about, seeing as the girls seemed to flock to him for some strange reason. He had to worry about death threats from the Slytherins, while Hermione's concern had been his father, Pansy, and then the mysterious journal thief. It was really quite a disaster, but they had held their own. They would have to return to the mess in just a few short weeks, only then they'd be husband and wife, though only a select few would be privy to such knowledge. Secrets never stayed hidden though, it was a known fact.

"I think some will," she told him, one of her hands moving up to brush through his hair. "Those that matter, that we care about, they will understand us. Everybody else, anybody who doesn't think we should be together, they don't matter in the least. I wasn't about to give you up when we were just friends, and I certainly don't plan to now."

"And what are we?" he asked, lifting his head to look at her. "I've been calling you my fiance, in my head anyway, for awhile now. We're getting married come the twenty-fifth. Have we skipped the boyfriend/girlfriend stage to become fiances, then to move on to husband and wife already. We're like a Shakespearean play ourselves," he said, smiling.

"What do you want to be, Draco?" she asked, running her fingertips over his forehead, brushing his hair back. "What do you want out of this? Out of us?" she asked, quietly.

"I just want _us_," he whispered, crawling up closer to her. "Whatever we are, whatever name we brand us with, all that matters is that I have you. Whether you're my best friend, my girlfriend, my fiance or my wife, as long as I can know you're mine, it doesn't matter. As long as I can kiss you," he breathed, his lips brushing against hers as he watched her eyes close, "and hold you in the mornings when I wake up, then I don't care what we call each other." Smiling, he kissed her chin before moving up to the side of her mouth. "Although I have really enjoyed saying I have a fiance, even if it is to an empty hallway," he murmured.

Chuckling, Hermione tipped her chin, capturing his mouth with hers. He smiled at the small sigh that escaped her lips and hit his. Her nose gently brushed against his, while he turned his head slightly to the side. His tongue ran slowly over her lips, causing her mouth to open more for him. Draco nibbled on her bottom lip for a moment before slipping his tongue into her mouth, tangling with hers in a smooth, sweet battle. Her hands ran up his back, fingertips pressed down, causing a tingle in their wake. One of his hands lifted from her waist, running up her side until it was cupping the ball of her shoulder. Their lips embraced passionately until they couldn't breathe, causing them to slow into a lazy, soft kissing.

"If our story," he said, between a kiss, "isn't a tragedy," he murmured, chuckling as her teeth grazed his bottom lip, "then do you think people will remember it?" he wondered, pressing his mouth against hers for a long, languid taste.

Breathing rather heavily, Hermione ran her hand over his cheek, pushing a strand of his hair behind his ear. "Personally, I prefer our story over Romeo and Juliet," she told him, nodding.

"Why's that?" he asked, pressing his lips against the side of her mouth, trailing up her cheek.

"My Romeo is much more handsome," she told him, smiling. "And I have a feeling he's a better kisser too."

Grinning, Draco kissed her temple before falling down to the corner of her eye, pressing his lips there gently. "Well, Juliet has nothing on Hermione either, so it's really quite obvious that the story of Draco and Hermione, yet to be finished, is certainly better than that of Romeo and Juliet," he deduced, nodding emphatically.

"Especially since it's sans tragic ending," she replied, nodding. "Who do you think will tell our story when we're gone?" she asked, looking up at him with soft brown eyes. "Aside from the many children we leave in our wake, you know, from all that copulating we have to do. Just to keep up appearance," she joked, referring back to what he had said when he first brought up marrying secretly.

Laughing, he stared down at her with a warm smile. "Everybody," he told her, nodding. "Even those who don't like us. It'll be widely known as the most incredible story of all the ages," he said, rolling onto his back and staring up at the ceiling.

Hermione turned over, laying her head on his chest. "And why do you suppose our story is so much better than others?" she asked, her hand trailing across his chest.

"Not many will live a story like ours," he said, running his fingers through her silken hair. "How many can you say have faced what we've faced? Done what we've done? Said what we've said?" he asked, lifting his head to kiss the top of her hair. "Nobody will ever love like we do. They'll love similarly, they'll love with all they have. But no one will ever love another like I love you," he whispered.

Lifting her head from his chest, Hermione looked down at him, smiling. "Do you really think so?" she asked, moving her body so she was laying on top of him, her chin on his chest as she stared up at him with sparkling hazel eyes. "Of all the people in the world, nobody will ever love like us? That's quite a feat, don't you think?"

Nodding, Draco ran his hands down her back, settling at her hips. "When you think about your future, ten years, twenty, even fifty, what do you see?" he asked, his eyes staring straight into hers.

"I see..." Tipping her head slightly, she lifted one side of her mouth as she thought deeply. "I see peace in the Wizarding world," she told him, nodding. "And I see children, at different stages in their lives of course. I see Harry and Ron, with their respectful wives, which of course means that Luna is there," she said, smiling. "And I see Blaise; happy and content in his life." Sighing, she looked up out the corner of her eyes. "And I see you, but it appears you're still just as handsome as you are now, so obviously my future thoughts are disturbed. One day, those good looks of yours are bound to give out," she said with a sigh. "And I'll be left with a grumpy, wrinkly looking Draco, with silver eyes and a painfully beautiful smile."

Laughing, Draco grinned at her. "I see the same, except for Potter and Weasley, I think they're off somewhere else, what a pity," he muttered, smirking. "Oh, and of course, you've aged terribly," he told her, making a disappointed sound and shrugging. "But you're still just as meticulous with your books and spend most of your day absorbed in one tome or another. When I finally tear you away though, you're quite happy to shag me senseless. It must be because of my painfully beautiful smile, a side effect I'm afraid," he told her, grinning.

Hermione frowned, "Sounds terrible," she told him, chuckling at his rolling eyes. After a brief moment of quiet, where Hermione laid her head back down on his chest, running her fingers across his chest, every once in awhile touching his piecing, she looked up at him, doubt in her eyes. "This is really happening, isn't it?" she asked.

Nodding, Draco looked down at her with a warm calm about him. "You know, everything outside of this room will likely be hard and dangerous, but loving you is the most simple thing I know," he replied, smiling briefly. "The future we want, we may not get, but at least while we're alive, we'll have this. People aren't going to approve, many will try and end what we have. Be it from war, hate, or jealousy, it doesn't matter. I don't-" Sighing, he shook his head, cupping her chin so she was looking directly at him. "Whatever happens, I don't want to die without you knowing that I love you, without having the chance to love you."

"And you won't," Hermione told him, dipping her chin to kiss his palm. "I don' know how long we have, but I know I'll love you for all of it. I don't know how I know, or how I can be so sure, but somehow I am." Leaning up, she pressed her lips against his, drawing his top lip between hers. His arms wrapped around her waist, holding her tight against him.

After they broke apart, Hermione lay her head on his shoulder, her nose brushing against his neck. They cuddled comfortably in silence for a long while, simply enjoying one anothers embrace and letting everything sink in slowly. So much had been said, promised, understood, now they just had to face all that it came with. A knock was heard at the door, Lupin was telling them they'd be leaving for Gringotts soon. They couldn't stay wrapped up in the quiet solitude of a bedroom forever, they'd have to face the outside world one day.

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**A/N **_Hey guy, I hope you enjoyed this chaper. Please leave a review, I'd love to know what you think. :D_

_Much Love,  
-**Amanda**_


	27. Preparing A New Life

**Review offering insight to the story**:

"_Thank you so much. I was so disappointed when I opened my email this morning and saw that you hadn't updated. Then when I opened my email this afternoon, I saw your update and I squealed. After all, this was the chapter I had been waiting for. I absolutely love the way you write Draco/Hermione. I know I've said this before, but it's even more true now. Draco and Hermione are so sweet, so loving, so caring. I can't imagine how you could write this beautiful, this amazingly. Although a dramatic love scene would be nice, you realized that it wasn't for Draco and Hermione. Draco and Hermione are best friends, not some people in a storybook. They seem so real...and the way you wrote them finally getting together was absolutely perfect. It seemed so...THEM. Also, the way Hermione was giving Draco the story of Romeo and Juliet was so beautiful. They do have a lot of similiarities, but I have faith that their fate won't be like Romeo and Juliet's. I absolutely loved the way Draco acted when Hermione was telling him the story. It seemed so him. That's the one thing I can count on with you -- making amazing, original plots and characters that are themselves, and yet have another whole side to them. Everything you write is so amazing, and if I can write half as good as you do when I turn 19...wow_." - **_PiperPaigePhoebe01_** of FanFiction net.

**Thank you to the following reviewers of** Chapter Twenty Five - **_The Simplicity of Loving_**: _swimchik09, LadyBrianna, jk rowling the 2nd, Kait-Lynn23, Weaselbee, MajorFanFic, ), TomxFeltonsxWifeyx3, Mrs. St. John Allerdyce, Life Is Truely Great, Steelo, Blackonyx21, dangerous dormice, lele07, CharmedLife19, Eternally Night, cle be, Caligirl-HPLVR, bethygirl94, Kitsune Kida, Emily, Sam's Firefly, niic smiles, anie smiles, ada, Spicy, peanutbutterfluff, MooNliGHtGoddEss22, Aurelia Malfoy, smileenov, mskairijade, dracosman, orbedmaiden, sheila, Odi et amo., Melissa, **mskiti (Melanie), Zarroc, Phoenix flame01, natyslacks, Lote22, scooterrg, JustYourAverageReviewer, cmtaylor531, Maritym, **_and_especially **classicjs**, **PiperPaigePhoebe01**, **annieca**, **Princess de la Plume**, **Hyuga Kyuuketsuki**, **ClassicPairsShipper**, _and_ **galloping-goose**._

_**Growing**_

_Chapter Twenty-Six_

_Preparing A New Life_

After changing their clothes, Hermione and Draco met Lupin and Tonks out by the fireplace in the den. Andromeda was standing near by, her hands wrapped tightly around each other. Her eyes were rather watery as she looked up at them when they walked in, she smiled all the same though. "Do you have everything?" she asked, her voice wavering slightly.

Hermione nodded. "Everything is packed and put away," she assured. "Thank you for letting us stay here, we really appreciate it."

Shaking her head, she stepped forward. "It was no problem," she told them. "I'm just--" Clearing her throat, she placed her hand on Draco's shoulder. "I'm very glad that I had the opportunity to meet you, Draco. And I'm-- I'm very proud of you, for making the decisions you have and for fighting so bravely against your father." She swallowed, closing her eyes for a moment and breathing in shakily. "I have no doubts that my sis-- That Narcissa is even more proud than me, as she had the privilege and honor to raise such a wonderful young man."

Draco felt his throat swell and close off at her sincere words. It reminded him quite nicely of Jane and how loving and proud she was of him on a regular basis. Because he couldn't speak, he stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her in a hug. She seemed surprised at first but reacted within seconds, embracing him strongly, as if her sanity depended on. He knew she was crying, as her back was shaking quite profusely. "She's okay," he whispered, only loud enough for her to hear. "My mother is a very strong women, she's put up with him in the past. She'll come back to you-- to us," he told her.

Sniffling, Andromeda nodded against his shoulder. "Th-- Thank you," she managed, before pulling back. She cupped his face for a moment, silent tears running down her cheeks. "Be safe, little dragon." Smiling, she turned to Hermione, taking her in her arms too. Draco chuckled at the 'oof' his best friend made against his aunt's crushing embrace. "You take care of him," he heard her tell her.

"I will," Hermione promised, her eyes landing on Draco's.

Stepping back, Andromeda smiled at them all. "Take care of yourselves; all of you," she told them, nodding. A moment later, she left the room, closing the double doors behind her.

Lupin waved Hermione and him over, telling them the destination they were flooing to. "Have you figured out your names?" he asked, them handing them each a handful of powder.

"He tried to go with Harry Potter, but I told him that might cause bigger problems," Hermione said, chuckling.

"At least I didn't pick the name of a dead founder of Hogwarts," Draco responded, frowning.

"Rowena Ravenclaw was a bright and incredible witch," she replied primly.

"Don't forget dead," he added, staring at her amused.

"You only need first names," Tonks told them, smiling at them both. "And they'll only be used in public, so..."

"Well then, Rowena it is," Draco said, nodding at Hermione.

"I don't know Draco, I don't think you could pass off a female name," Hermione told him, lifting her brow.

Shaking his head at her, he snorted. "It's my overwhelming masculinity that ruins it," he said, feigning sadness.

"As entertaining as this conversation is," Lupin said, sighing, "I really need to know your names so I can call you something while out in public."

Draco nodded, tipping his head in thought. "I'll just go with Alexander," he said, shrugging.

"I love that name," Hermione murmured.

"I know," he replied, tossing the powder into the flames and calling out his destination.

Stepping out into the dark empty bar around him, he immediately pulled his hood up and over his head. He kept his face down but his silver eyes roamed over the area he was standing in. Hermione stumbled out beside him, latching onto his arm for stability. Following his actions, she pulled the black hood over her head, ducking it down out of view. Though there weren't any witches or wizards they could see, the place was open and anyone could walk in. Lupin came in next, looking rather perturbed; he opened his mouth for what Draco was sure would be a tongue lashing, but instead was caught off guard by Tonks coming full throttle through the fireplace.

"You should've let one of us go first," Lupin told him, his tone serious and annoyed. "Anybody could've been here; if they recognize you, you're dead."

"I'll remember that in the future," Draco told him, looking down as Hermione squeezed his arm. Taking her hand, he glanced at Tonks and Lupin, questioningly. "So? Are we going to Gringotts, or what?"

Sighing, Lupin passed them by, walking to the thick, heavy front door and pulling it open. "Come along then, I don't want to be here long. The sooner we get out of the Wizarding world, the better."

Tonks remained behind the couple, a precaution Draco was sure. He put his hand into the pocket of his hoodie, holding the wood of his wand tightly. He made sure to keep his head low, though his eyes were high enough to watch the people around him with suspicion. He found the bar had been just on the outskirts of Knockturn Alley but they had turned off into Diagon Alley, a much safer area to walk through even with his current problem. They would have to loop around, but both he and Hermione were much better off away from the people who roamed the dark and seedy alleyway.

"Do you know of any ring stores 'round here?" Draco asked, quietly.

"Two stores down from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, there's Dame Dahlia's Jewelers," Hermione replied, keeping her head near his shoulder, but not lifting her chin. "It was founded in 1979 by Danilda Dahlia, shortly after divorcing her husband Belthazar Benton for cheating on her. Her first item of jewelry sold was her own engagement ring and business has only increased since there. Her motto is that she's seen the worst husband, so now she can spot the right one for any who enters her shop. So far, her predictions -though I highly doubt they were that at all- have not been wrong once."

"Hmm," he said, nodding. He could tell she was quite nervous because of how close she was standing, so he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, bringing her along to his side. She relaxed slightly, but kept very alert, which was a good thing, really. "We'll stop there then? After Gringotts?"

"Sounds good," she replied, tipping her head just enough for him to see her smile. "Is there anything else we have to do while we're here?"

"Get ice cream?" he asked, cheerily.

Chuckling, Hermione shook her head. "I have a feeling Lupin won't approve of that."

"Fine," he said, sighing. "If I'm going to be held captive for my safety though, you'd think they'd at least let me have ice cream."

"Maybe we can order room service later," she suggested, her mood seemed to brighten. "I know I'm hungry."

"Wonderful. How should we lock Lupin and Tonks out of the room?" he wondered, cheekily. "I'm sure they'd have no problem in the other room, all alone. Was it just me, or was my cousin checking out the old guy?"

Hermione chortled, nodding. "I'm not sure if they're dating, but I know they have feelings for each other," she told him. She shivered slightly as a wind blew past her, causing Draco to run his hand over her arm, warming her without even knowing he was doing it.

"We're almost there," he told her, his eyes moving over to the store to his left, eyeing the people inside. He turned away quickly when someone looked over at him though. "Do you think people know that we're being escorted by an Auror?" he asked. "And shouldn't she be taking us into the Ministry right about now?"

"I guess her loyalties reside more in Dumbledore at the moment," Hermione replied, shrugging slightly. "I don't know if anyone recognizes her as an Auror, but perhaps they just think she's walking near us," she said, sounding hopeful. "She is metamorphmagus though, so it's unlikely people will notice her as anything but a normal witch."

Draco nodded, hoping she was right. The last thing they needed was people noticing that two hooded teenagers were being escorted around by officials. People would begin to wonder, perhaps even try and get a look at them. If that were to happen, then their cover would be blown and he really didn't want to think about what might occur then. His hand tightened around his wand, almost painfully.

"There it is," Hermione told him, lifting her chin slightly.

Draco sighed, happy that they were nearly there. He hadn't realized his heartbeat had picked up. He felt like everybody was watching him and beginning to figure out what was going on. He wondered how many people around him were ruthless enough to try and kill him and Hermione, or even just detain them. Then the question of whether they would hand them to Voldemort or the Ministry arose. Just how safe were they in the Wizarding world? How little did people trust them that they would disown them to a mad murderer? Shaking his head of the thoughts, he tried to think of something more lively.

They managed to walk up the steps to the snowy white building, he'd have to crane his neck to see the banks name but knew better. A set of bronze doors met their eyes, which the four of them passed through quickly; Draco felt a surge of comfort as being inside. They were met with another set of doors, silver this time, before they finally entered the lobby. His former ease had melted though, as he realized just how many people were inside. Being Christmas time, Gringotts was booming with customers. Lupin nodded his head for them to follow him across the paved marble floor to stand in one of the shorter lines. He set his eyes on the long counter that stretched the length of the bank, a customer being helped by a goblin at every open window.

Draco was even more unnerved when he realized that Lupin was grasping his wand in his pant pocket, his knuckles white. He didn't dare glance back to see if Tonks was doing the same, and felt himself stiffen while he waited for what felt like hours for the line to move. He could hear the chatter of people around him, some speaking of money problems, others cheerily discussing the coming holidays. Students wouldn't be out of school until the next day, so Draco was mildly lucky to have been able to do his business Thursday. He felt Hermione's hand squeeze his side, her arm tightening around his back with worry.

Looking over at her, he leaned across to kiss her temple, trying to reassure her. She relaxed against him, but just barely. "What are you getting me for Christmas?" he whispered, trying to lighten the mood.

Chuckling, Hermione moved so she was standing in front of him, that way her face was a little more viewable from his standpoint, but no other. "Well, I was going to marry you, but now I'm reconsidering," she replied, cheekily.

Smiling, Draco wrapped his arms around her shoulders, hugging her near him. "I'll have to change your mind," he told her, his mouth widening into a wicked grin. He tilted his head down, his lips meeting hers in a gentle brush. It amazed him still, the feeling that ran through him whenever they kissed. It was both returning to his rightful place, and finding a pleasant surprise. He stopped his hands from tangling in her hair, worried that he might disturb her hood. She sighed against his mouth, her tongue running over his lips.

He felt a hand in his back though, making him pull away. He looked forward to see that the line had moved, at least three people could fit in the space between Lupin and Hermione's back. His eyes looked around, seeing if anyone noticed, finding only a young woman smiling at them wistfully. Moving his arms down to wrap around her waist, he walked her backwards, filling in the open area. He could hear his cousin snicker, partly amused.

Pressing his forehead against Hermione's, he ran his hand up and down her back, calming her nerves as she had become slightly worried when she realized that they could've caught people's attention. Her arms hung beside his, upturned as her hands pressed on his shoulder blades, almost holding his shoulders. "We're fine," he breathed, staring into her eyes. "Nobody suspects a thing."

Hermione sighed, unsure about their situation. "What if--"

"It's okay," he cut her off, kissing the tip of her nose. "I looked. There was only a girl who noticed us, and she was really looking on as if she wished the same was happening to her. She didn't look like she recognized us at all. We're not far from the front," he said, glancing around. "We'll be out of here in no time."

Hermione nodded slightly, biting her lip as she waited. Draco's hand ran circles over her sweater covered back, kneading away the tension in her muscles. Her eyes closed as she melted into the sensation, so he kissed her lids, and then down to the side of her mouth. He grinned at her shaky exhale of content. He wondered briefly if anybody thought it odd that they were both wearing muggle clothes, but chose not to look around at the people, deciding he must've looked suspicious enough.

The line moved, so Draco backed Hermione up again, happy to see that there were only two people in front of Lupin, and one was at the counter. It wouldn't be long now and they'd be down in the vaults beneath ground, collecting money for the wedding and their "vacation". He had his own vault broken off from the Malfoy families, so he knew his father couldn't cut him off completely. He had been intelligent enough to change a good sum over on his seventeenth birthday. However, with his ability to get into the Malfoy family vault, he wondered if he should just take it from there.

Lupin stepped to the side, ushering both he and Hermione up to the till. A goblin stared down at their covered faces for a moment, before Draco raised his head to show who he was. "I need to withdraw money from the Malfoy vault," he told the goblin.

At first, the small creature seemed apprehensive, as it was likely he knew about what was written in the paper. "Of course, Mr Malfoy," he said, his voice a near whisper. "I will need you to follow me down to your vaults," he told him, hopping down out of sight. He waved his arm, asking that they follow him to the side where a swinging door was. He glanced over at Lupin, Tonks, and Hermione questioningly, before looking up at Draco for confirmation.

"They have to come," he told him, nodding.

Taking his word for it, the goblin then walked through a door, leading to a stone passageway where a couple of magic carts sat. Hermione, Draco, and the goblin stepped into one, while Tonks and Lupin took the other. The trip down was fast and mildly blinding with twists and turns. His and Hermione's hoods flew back from the air pressure surrounding them. Draco had ventured down to the Malfoy vaults more times than he could count, but he never managed to get used to the trip. He helped Hermione out, feeling his own legs were quite wobbly.

Walking down a stone platform, they stopped in front of a huge, circular door. "This will just take a minute," the small but old goblin assured.

There were numerous complex charms and other means of security placed on the door as the vault was filled with items of monetary and dark regions. Nearly ten minutes later, Draco was finally able to walk through the entrance. He heard the steps of the people behind him as they followed, and the surprised gasp the two adults emitted. Draco glanced back at them, chuckling slightly at their wagging jaws. On one side was a tall, wide bookcase that took up an entire wall, covered in tomes of all kinds. He could easily pick out the exact one that held the counter spell for what Lucius had done to Hermione. On the other were shelves holding various dark objects, which possessed a protective charm so powerful, it would likely take off any hand that touched them. And then in the very center, piled high, teetering over his head, and laying in a long line reaching the far wall, were the Malfoy riches.

He couldn't estimate just how much he was looking at, but he did know that his family was the most wealthy in all of the Wizarding world; and this was just one of their vaults. They had four others with piles just as large, if not bigger. His father wouldn't miss anything he took, he likely wouldn't even notice it had been taken. The goblet beside him held out a bag, which Draco knew could never be completely full. It was an endless bag, where he could put anything into and never reach a bottom. Of course, were he to reach in, the items would be at his fingertips immediately.

Stepping up to the pile, he began gathering the many coloured coins into the bag, nodding at Hermione to help him. She had been roaming near the bookcase, but walked over to help him in his withdrawal. He handed her the bag, knowing it would be feather light in her grasp. Then, piling his arms full he dumped it all inside, before grabbing another.

"How much do you need?" Hermione wondered, her eyes wide as he continued to put more inside.

"_We_," he emphasized, "still have to pay for the wedding, a house, the wedding bands, and any necessities until the War is over," he explained. "This bag is going to be moved into my private vault, and then we'll make another to take with us."

"A house," she repeated, her mouth lifting in a grin.

"Of course," he said, nodding. "Do you remember that brown 1928 brick manor we stopped at last summer? We were passing it on our way back from the carnival and it had a huge sign saying it was for sale. It had a long turnoff that was framed by huge orchard trees and ended with a roundabout driveway. We snuck out back to see the property, where we ran into the realtor," he said, chuckling. "She rambled on for nearly an hour about how the house was an incredible piece of land. The person selling it owned most of the Lake down from it too."

She nodded, smiling wistfully. "It was beautiful," she agreed, nodding. "But we don't need anything as big as that. It was two storey's, along with a green house and a guest house," she reminded.

"Well, I need to send your friends somewhere to sleep when they come to visit," he replied, smirking. "Do you remember what you said when we left?" he asked, taking another bag from the goblin to his left and beginning to fill it. Hermione smiled up at him, knowing he was going to tell her anyway. "You said, 'Draco, if I ever have the means to own a place like this, don't let me spend it only on books.' Plus," he said, triumphantly, "the realtor said there was a huge library inside. I see no point for you to argue, you might as well give up."

Shaking her head, Hermione grinned at him. "Fine, I'll let you win this one. But just you wait until next time and we'll see who gives up."

"I look forward to winning then too," he replied, handing her the new bag and gathering money into his hands.

Nearly a half hour later, they were on their way out of the bank. The goblin had taken his first bag off to his private vault while he and Hermione discussed whether or not they wanted a dog in the house. Draco thought it was mildly betraying Helena, while Hermione told him that obviously her parents were keeping the dog but she could always visit. He still hadn't agreed to it and told her he'd think it over, deciding in his head that he'd try and convince Jane and Henry to let him take Helena with him.

Hermione had just barely pulled him back from walking through the door to the bank in time, as he had the door half open. She pulled his hood up, which he had completely forgotten about, and looked up at him with a worried expression. Taking her hand, he apologized and then thanked her for correcting his mistake. Lupin left first, always the leader, and kept a rather quick pace to exiting the bank. Hermione had shrunk their withdrawal, placing it in her hoodie pocket to keep from being stolen or dropped.

There next stop was Dame Dahlia's and Draco could tell that Lupin was becoming more uneasy about their trip to the Wizarding world. His shoulders were set tightly and he still held his wand in his grasp while his head moved back and forth, watching the people in their vicinity. It hadn't taken long to get to the jewelers, which he was sure everyone was thankful for. There was a dinging above the door, notifying the woman at the counter of their arrival.

Hermione and Draco separated from Lupin and Tonks, making their way to the counter. Almost immediately, the women had pounced on them. Draco glanced up at her, noticing that she possessed a brazen beauty for her age. Her dark hair was pulled up in a pony tail, with waves falling down her back. Bangs brushed across her forehead, above glowing blue almond shaped eyes. Laugh lines were obvious around her long, smiling mouth. She was dressed primly in white wizarding robes, but her personality seemed to clash with her outfit. While she was dressed as a forty-year old business women, her face gave her away as coming off much younger than her age.

"Oh," she said, looking from Draco to Hermione, her brows raising as she let out a sigh. "When's the wedding?" she wondered.

Draco was rather surprised she had figured it out so quickly, and wondered why she didn't assume it was Lupin and Tonks wedding. "Christmas," he replied, grinning. He turned to Hermione, watching her face light up at the one word. Her eyes scanned the many rings in the cabinet, he could tell from her expression which she liked and which she didn't.

"We're looking for wedding bands," Hermione told her, looking up with a smile. It was useless looking down, as their reflections were being seen perfectly through the glass.

Dame Dahlia stared at them for a moment, tipping her head slightly with question. "Aren't you...?" she trailed off, her eyes thinning slightly with thought. "You are," she said, nodding. "You're those two teenagers who fell in love against _his_ father's insistence," she said, leaning forward on her elbows and pointing at Draco. She snorted, shrugging. "Not to mention the fact that you've both betrayed your side. It was in the paper this morning, alongside the money on your heads," she warned.

Lupin cleared his throat, causing Draco to glance at him, shaking his head, before he returned his attention to the woman in front of him. "Do you mean Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger?" he asked, staring into her eyes. "You know, we've been getting that all day. Not something you want hanging around you, really. Especially with the amount of trouble they seem to be in. One wrong person sees them and they're dead. Sadly, we happen to look quite a lot alike, don't we Rowena?" he said, never removing his eyes from Dahlia's.

"Mmm," Hermione mused, sounding upset. "It's been a real hassle trying to keep ourselves hidden, for fear of being thought of as those two." She shook her head, leaning forward to look at the rings. "Alexander and I have been trying to get our business done up all in one day. We dearly hope the confusion is cleared up by the end of the holidays. You can understand how hard it's been what with the odd similarities, can't you?"

Dame Dahlia looked back and forth between Draco and Hermione, her uncertain questions still obvious in her face. "I can see how that would be a hassle, yes," she said, finally.

Draco smiled briefly, "Good. Then you can help us find our wedding bands, can't you?" He didn't want her running off, she could be a hazard if left alone. He wasn't going to give up getting their rings, but he didn't want to risk their safety.

Danilda smiled, nodding. "Of course." She moved her face back and forth, regarding them both. "How long have you two known each other?" she asked.

He frowned, not quite sure why that mattered, but shrugged. "Three years next month," he answered.

"And how long have you been engaged?" she asked, a sweet grin on her face. Any uncertainty seemed to melt away as she fell into playing the hopeless romantic who sold jewelry to couples in love.

"Twenty four days ago," Hermione told her, nodding.

Dahlia nodded, turning her eyes up as she thought. "And how did he propose?" she questioned.

Hermione smiled wistfully, glancing up at him. "We were flying on an Abraxan," she replied. "He said it was our freedom; that whenever the world spoke of lies, we could find truth in each other. And he promised me that there was no one who would ever be there for me like him; that we would get through the war and everything in life together."

Draco heard both Tonks and Danilda sigh, lovesick expressions on their faces.

"Why can't you say anything that romantic?" Tonks asked, frowning up at Lupin.

"Great," Lupin muttered. "Now if I ever plan to propose, I have to beat a seventeen year old with a flying horse."

Draco chuckled, wrapping his arms around Hermione's waist and putting his chin down on her shoulder. Her arm reached back, hand cupping his cheek tenderly. She threaded her free hand with one of his as it rested comfortably on her hip. Kissing the side of her neck, he moved his eyes over the rings in front of him. "Any other questions?" he wondered, glancing up at Dame Dahlia.

Shaking her head, she grinned with what could only be described as envy and happiness mixed in one. "I have the perfects bands for you," she told them, nodding. Turning she walked down the length of the cabinet, reaching inside and grabbing hold of something. Her hair fell to one side, splaying out over her shoulder. She returned with two black cases. "These are the _Siempre_ rings; originally made in Spain. Their name in English means "Always," mostly because of their previous owners; a poor boy and a rich girl who fell in love. No matter how much their families and friends told them to let go of each other, they absolutely refused to. They married when they were just seventeen years old and stayed together until their dying day."

She nodded, pushing the boxes out to them. "It was said that a special charm was placed on the rings, so they could only be worn by a couple who swore and meant to love each other always. A lifelong bond is created by them, between the two wearers, making it so the rings can only be taken off if their love fades. Divorce means nothing to these rings, so they will stay on your fingers as long as you leave each other. Nobody can take them off for you and no charm will remove it; only death or loss of love can cause the ring to release its place on your finger. They are very strong rings, and the wearers should be the same. An old Spanish witch once told me that rings such as these were made for couples who would fight forever, if only to love."

Draco reached out, opening one of the boxes to be met with a silver band that glinted in the light of the store.

"It's an 18k white gold band, with a brushed metal center section and a comfort fit inside edge. It's width is 7mm and if you'll read the inside inscription, you'll find it says, '_Amor está..._' Down the center, if you look closely, there are two lines that weave through each other, one is a dark red and the other is green. The Spanish woman who sold them to be said it was because the boy had grown up living on a certain side of the city, where they wore green to signify their standing. The red represented a passion for his wife, which the woman said was incredibly strong," Danilda told him, smiling.

Hermione opened the black box, only to gasp, her hand coming up to cover her mouth.

Smiling, Dame Dahlia plucked the incredible ring from its cushion. "This is a pavé-set diamond band," she told her, eyes twinkling as she held it out for Hermione to take. "It's an 18k white gold diamond band, with 58 brilliant round diamonds. You'll notice that every second diamond is a deep green colour; the young girl thought it was important that she remember where her husband came from, as it made up a large part of him. It's width is 4.2 mm, tapered to a 2.9 mm, and holds a weight of 5.79 grams." She watched with a grin as Hermione held it up in her fingers, letting out a shaky breath. "Inside, the inscription reads, '..._siempre_." Finishing the men's band to say, 'Love is always.'"

"They're incredible," Draco said, amused and encouraged by Hermione's expression. "We'll take them," he told her, plucking the money bag from Hermione's hoodie pocket.

"What?" she asked, coming out of her dazed stupor.

"We're getting them," Draco replied, smiling.

"Oh," she said, nodding. "But, are you sure? I mean, how much are they?" she wondered, staring up at Dahlia.

"Four hundred and seventeen galleons, three sickles, and six knuts," she told them, nodding.

He untied the bag, reaching his hand in to take out a handful of coins. He placed them on the glass top, counting them out. After another two handfuls, he took back the small pile of leftover coins unneeded for the transaction and tied the bag. Reaching over, he pushed it back in Hermione's pocket.

"Draco, that's over two thousand pounds," Hermione told him, biting her lip.

"Really, love, it's fine," he told her. Stopping, his face draining momentarily as he realized she had said his name. His eyes shot up to Dame Dahlia, worried. He was surprised to see her smiling at them, closing the rings and placing them in a bag.

"They will refit to your fingers size," she assured, handing them their bag. "Congratulations Mr. Malfoy and Miss. Granger, if you will accept my prediction, then you will be happily rewarded with a lasting marriage."

Letting out the breath Draco hadn't realized he was holding, he nodded at her. "Thank you," he said, taking Hermione's hand and turning towards the door. The bell atop the door rang cheerily as they walked out onto the stone walkway. Lupin could be heard grumbling as he walked ahead of them, shaking his head at what had just happened. Tonks walked a few feet behind, smiling warmly to herself.

Overall, though the day had been filled with a sense of worry and mild suspicion, Draco couldn't help think it turned out well. He and Hermione had money to hold them off for awhile, their rings were picked out and with them, and they hadn't run into any problems. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close to him so he could kiss her forehead. "We're all done for the day and there were no horrendous mishaps, it's practically a record for us, really."

Chuckling, Hermione rubbed her hand over his side. "How did it come to this?" she asked after a moment of silence. "When did everything change so much that we couldn't walk to a store without covering our faces?"

"It'll pass," he told her, sighing. "We're a target now, but it won't last forever. Don't worry," he said, rubbing her arm. "This is just a scare tactic... albeit a very good one, since it happens to be working, but still," he said, looking down at her turned up face, half hidden. "They'll get bored with us and focus back on Wonder Boy soon," he assured, chuckling. "Not that it will really put you at ease."

Shaking her head, Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "I just want us to be able to have a normal life," she told him, her voice quiet and sad.

"We will," he declared. "This War can't last forever and eventually my father is going to be locked away in Azkaban... or killed, whichever," he said with a shrug. "Either way, it's not always going to be like this."

"Promise?"

Smiling, he leaned down pressing his lips against the side of her mouth. "Promise," he whispered.

It was then that he heard the buzzing around him, the whispers that had once been covered by the wind. Swallowing, he raised his eyes, scanning the people around him. His grip on Hermione tightened, while his gaze moved to Lupin, who was slowing down and glancing over his shoulder. Turning back, he looked at Tonks, who was now pulling out her wand. A number of people stepped out from the large crowds on the streets, branding their wands and staring at Draco and Hermione with obvious knowledge of who they were.

Sighing, Draco shook his head. "It was nice while it lasted," he muttered.

Lupin stopped then, lifting his arm slightly and turning to stand near the couple, while Tonks moved to cover the other side. Hermione seemed to realize what was going on as her hand came out of her pocket, holding her wand too. Having his head high allowed the wind to press his hood back, revealing him to the spectators that began to gang up on them menacingly. He could see on their faces that more than likely, they weren't here to take them to the Ministry. Stiffening his back, he readied himself for the public fight that had crept up on them.

* * *

**A/N** _Thanks for reading, sorry for the late update. None of my reviews, nor my alerts, were making it to my Inbox, so I assumed it wasn't doing the same for everyone else. So I didn't want to put up a chapter if nobody was going to know it was there, lol. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this, I surely liked writing it. Please leave a review, it's greatly apprecitated._

_Much Love,  
-**Amanda**_


	28. The Bad, The Good, The Cold

**Review offering insight to the story**:

"_I'm amazed how absoulutly wonderful you have made this story. It is an amazingly well written story with a believable plot. The way you take the characters J. K. Rowling has created and bring them to a whole new level of personality is inspiring. Your prologue draws the reader in and once you start to read there is no way you can stop. This is one of the stories that deserves to be hung on a golden plaque. You are definatly on of the best authors on this site. Your writing is both romantic and thrilling, it contains both drama and humer, with just a touch of Adventure! The scene where Draco proposes is by far on of the best pieces of writing I have read; it almost made me cry, it was so beautiful. Keep writing these wonderful pieces of work, you are truly a writer. Suni_" - _**Saree Slytherin**_ of FanFiction net.

**Thank you to the following reviewers of** Chapter Twenty-Six - _**Preparing A New Life**_: _cle be, AliciaL, Amatheriel, Melissa, AMistressMalfoy, Dracosman, niic smiles, Zarroc, Odi et amo., Phoenix flame01, Dizi 85, jk rowling the 2nd, Sam's Firefly, Andre, cmtaylor531, sandpaw, Maybaby525, Lote22 (Lauren), bethygirl94, Eternally Night, sheila, Kitsune Kida, Lady Brianna, Mrs. St. John Allerdyce, Steelo, Aurelia Malfoy, Hyuga Kyuuketsuki, ayruh, **natyslacks (Natalie), SlytherinsDarkPrincess, strawberrypockwolf, mskiti (Melanie), nelygirl (Nel), cucu4cocopuffs, anie smiles, Caligirl-HPLVR, seaweedqueen, kie-san, Weaselbee, Mindy, e-anaid, harry2011luna, Saree Slytherin, The Slayerettes, kjerstimalfoy, clarinet-alto-4ever **_and _especially** Classis Pairs Shipper, annieca, Princess de la Plume, **_and **_galloping-goose._**

_**Growing**_

_Chapter Twenty-Seven_

_The Bad, The Good, The Cold_

Lupin stopped then, lifting his arm slightly and turning to stand near the couple, while Tonks moved to cover the other side. Hermione seemed to realize what was going on as her hand came out of her pocket, holding her wand too. Having his head high allowed the wind to press his hood back, revealing him to the spectators that began to gang up on them menacingly. He could see on their faces that more than likely, they weren't here to take them to the Ministry. Stiffening his back, he readied himself for the public fight that had crept up on them.

"It is them," a man shouted, his voice a dark growl. "Get 'em boys, we be collectin' us a reward tonight!" He pushed a woman out of the way, putting himself in front of Lupin. His clothes were shabby, his hair was thin, and his skin looked rather sallow. Draco pressed his wrist under his nose, stifling the strong smell of Firewhiskey radiating off the dirty bloke.

"This is your one and only warning," Lupin told them, his wand moving across the crowd. "I will not hesitate to keep you at bay for the sake of these children." His voice was strong, though Draco took slight insult to being called a child it probably pushed a sense of indecency into them for their actions against _kids_. He knew that Lupin didn't want this to come to a head, he had hopes that they would just let them through, but that didn't appear to be the consensus of the angry mob.

"They're traitors!" a woman exclaimed, coming forward with a flushed face and a look of indignation. She was on the plump side, holding a purse between her large hands and stomping her white heel covered foot. "Granger is against the Light side!" she told him, as if that should make him hand them over just on her word.

A woman stood next to her, grey hair piled up in a curled disaster. An ugly flowered dress covered her thin frame and a long wood wand was held tightly in her slip of a hand. Her expression was dark, as her thick grey brows furrowed over angry eyes. "Against Harry Potter," she added, making it sound even more important.

"The Malfoy boy went against his father," a man yelled from the crowd, hidden from view, but stating his allegiance all the same.

"We'll let you in on the reward," the first chap said, grinning a smile of black and missing teeth. "You can 'ave fifteen percent and your life," he told him, laughing. He tipped his head, the wind catching his short black hair throwing them around to show off his nearly bald top. His stomach was rather rounded, sticking out under a green vest that seemed to be falling apart and missing buttons. A shabby brown coat was thrown over it, looking moth eaten and dusty; Draco wondered where he found it.

"Fifteen percent," Tonks scoffed from his side, shaking her head causing purple hair to sway around her shoulders.

"Hey," Draco said, rolling his eyes.

"Kidding," she replied shrugging, smiling briefly.

Draco's eyes ran over the circle of men and women that were slowly approaching them, there had to be thirty to forty people around them, all looking angry. They each had their own view on him and Hermione, whether it was for their Golden Boy or either side of the War. In any case, they didn't care if he and she lived or died, as long as they made money off of it or showed their patriotism. He wasn't about to let his life go down the drain for money hungry fools, and there no way he would let them get their hands on Hermione. They stood with their backs to each other, wands drawn and faces grim. Hermione and Draco had decided not to stay helpless between the Auror and Order member, but join in for their own safety.

Lupin glared at the man in front of him, looking more than a little pissed at the thought he could be bought. "Listen to yourselves, you're mobbing a couple of seventeen year old kids," he told them, angrily. "For what?"

"Revenge!" an older lady yelled, pumping her hand into the air. "Fer 'arry Potter!"

"You think he wants you to take these two into custody? They'll be killed," he told them, shaking his head. "When there's a bounty out on your head, it means _your head_. It doesn't mean sitting in a room while people chastise your behavior. Are you willing to do that to them? To two innocent kids who haven't done _anything_ to you!"

"Some of us don' care wha' happens to 'em, we jus' wan' our reward," a disgusting looking fellow told him, smirking. "And they ain' as innocent as you say. Tha' there Malfoy boy hasn' been a prince durin' his life. We all know Lucius Malfoy, the boy's jus' the same. And tha' there Granger girl wen' agains' the boy-who-lived. Traitors the both of 'em, you can' deny tha!" he half-shouted.

"We're not traitors," Hermione yelled, unable to control her temper. "You're all hypocrites for this. You walk around listening to whatever the paper feeds you; where were you when Harry was being labeled insane? Huh? I'm his best friend, nothing has changed that," she shouted. "And I'm his best friend too," she admitted, pointing back to the blonde behind her. "Draco has done nothing to any of you; neither of us have. Now, you would do well to get out of our way," she warned.

"Listen to her, eh? Thinks she's a real tough one," some man said, laughing.

Their approach was getting too close for Draco's liking, he turned to Lupin with a serious and worried expression. Swallowing, the former professor nodded, sighing at what they were about to do. Turning his wand on the man meaning to sell Draco and Hermione off, offering him fifteen percent, Lupin yelled, "**_Stupefy!_**"

Taking his cue, Draco aimed his wand at the bloke hurrying toward him, a maniacal grin on his face, yelling a hurling hex that had him bowling over every one behind him. He could hear Hermione exclaiming, "**_Petrificus Totalus_**," while Tonks had taken to using a powerful wind charm that was pushing back a number of the crowd.

Though it had many backing off, there were others that had just made their way back up and returned to attacking them. Various colours could be seen lighting the air as numerous spells, charms, and hexes were being aimed at the four people. Tonks was able to dodge most of them, only catching a slicing charm on her arm. Instead of surrendering, she covered her arm with her hand and sent an angry hurling hex at her attacker. Lupin was dueling with two men at the same time, finally giving up and punching one so he could focus on the other, much to Draco's amusement.

His silver eyes scanned the crowd that had ambushed them after the initial attack, he couldn't see Hermione anywhere and it was more than worrying him. It was mayhem all around; with people shouting obscenities and attacking everyone around them. Pushing his way through two burly man, sending a silent charm to tie their shoe laces together, he searched the area for Hermione, calling out her name frantically. A woman came at him, her hands grabbing at his hoodie with a desperate smile, she was breathing heavily, sending the strong smell of garlic into his face. He tried pushing her off, annoyed with her grabby hands, but her knobby fingers held on. "Get off," he screamed in her face, holding his wand at her chest.

"Come with me little one," she told him, nodding. "I'll keep yer safe. The Dark Lord will take yer back!"

Shaking his head, he hit her with a _Stupefy_ and continued pushing through the crowd, he was a little surprised to see that the mob had turned on themselves, likely because they wanted the money themselves. They were so focused on pushing each other out of the way, they hadn't realized that he was walking right past them. He thought too soon, however, as a very large men stepped forward, his burly hands wrapping around Draco's shoulders and lifting him from the ground. "I be eatin' tonight!" he said, more to himself than Draco as he giggled. It was unnerving to hear such a big guy with a thick voice giggle, but that was no where near his problem. He was being carried through the crowd now, unable to wriggle free. His wand was pointed off at someone on the ground, not even close to the giant-like man.

"Put me down," Draco commanded, his silver eyes as cold as ice. He took in the large appearance of the man, with his huge pale head, hairless and rather misshapen. He had huge eyes, one perhaps large than the other. A wide mouth hung open, a few teeth missing and the others discolored. He wore only half a shirt, which more resembled a torn potato sack, and billowing brown pants that hung off his lower half ending at the top of his ankle, rather comically.

"No," he replied, shaking his head. "You be my meal ticket. Me need food, yer head worth lots of galleons." He certainly sounded uneducated, which actually worried Draco more than were he a smart man.

"I'll give you money," he told him, hopefully. "Enough for many dinners. Just put me down," he asked, moving around. "Please. I have to find my--" Turning his head, he spotted Hermione being dragged away by two large men, her body scraping the hard pavement while her legs kicked out. "Listen to me," he screamed at the huge man. "Whatever you think you're going to get for turning me in, I'll double it. All you have to do is take me over there," he said, pointing. "Help me get that girl from them, please. I'll pay you the minute we're safe."

The large man turned his dull grey eyes over to Hermione as she continued kicking and yelling at the men dragging her while laughing. "Girl is yours?" he asked.

"Yes, well kind of, that girl is my fiancé," he told him, nodding. "She's-- She's everything to me, please, will you help me?" he asked, hating that he sounded as if he were begging, but knowing he was.

"Yous gots a fiancé," he said, grinning. "Good works you!"

Laughing at the absurdity of what was happening, Draco shook his head. "Thank you. Now will you help me?"

"Yous pay me to help yous and fiancé?" he asked, one arm dropping from Draco to scratch at his bald head. "Voldie Mort is offering big galleons," he warned.

"I know," Draco said, nodding. "And I'll double it, just help me. You'll be fed for a long time and you won't have the deaths of two kids on your conscious."

"Deaths?" he asked, surprised. "Voldie Mort wants to hurts yous and fiancé?" he asked, shaking his head. "Voldie Mort said he wanted head. Me thinks he wanted smarts," he said, poking Draco's head rather painfully.

"No, he literally wants to cut my head off," Draco told him, sighing, wanting to rub his head as it now had a ringing in it. He heard Hermione's scream, his heart gripping in the process. "We don't have much time. Will you help me or not?"

"Me help," he agreed, turning with Draco still in one hand. He barreled through the crowd, literally kicking people out of the way. He stopped in front of the two men who had managed to drag Hermione a ways down the street. "Yous let girl go!" the large man holding him yelled.

Draco craned his neck back, looking down at Hermione. He patted the man who he assumed was a half-giant, asking to be let down. he let go, dropping Draco to the ground. His feet hit the pavement with a rather painful pressure, but he managed to right himself. Stepping forward, he lifted his wand to the two men. "Let her go," he commanded.

"Lookie here, Eddie, we about to bring in the both of 'em," one chap said, dropping Hermione's arm to walk around her. His long brown trousers were covered in a greying dirt, likely from being knocked around on the ground during the fight. His white shirt was untucked, hanging over his pants in a few places, looking sloppy beneath his brown and orange tweed jacket. "Com'on then little Malfoy, just give yerself up and no one gets hurt."

Snorting, Draco cocked his brow at him. "You should be worrying about yourself," he told him, flicking his wand to send him flying across the street and into a cement wall with a thick thud. Turning back to the other man, who had lifted Hermione from the ground and was now using her as a shield, Draco slowly walked toward him. "You give me her and you don't get hurt," Draco told him, tipping his head.

"No way," he shouted, sneering. "This 'ere girlie is worth a lot of money!"

Turning Draco looked at the half-giant behind him, staring up at his huge form. "This is where you earn your money," he told him. "All you have to do is get the girl, without harming her, and knock the guy out." He didn't want to risk shooting anything off at the idiot only to harm Hermione.

Nodding, the burly half giant stepped forward, his bare feet making loud thumps against the pavement beneath him. "Give me girl," he yelled, his voice loud and growly. "Fiancé go to boy, you go away!" His arms widened, as he broke out into a stomp towards them. Hermione was visibly shaking, her eyes wide as she stared up at the huge man coming at her.

"Back off," Hermione's captor yelled, directing his wand up at the half giant.

Draco glanced back to see that the crowd was thinning but Lupin and Tonks were very much preoccupied with a couple of wizards who simply refused to back down. Turning back he found the half giant had stopped, his hand over his chest for a brief moment as Draco assumed he'd been hit with something. While both he and her captor were distracted, Draco managed to get past them both to stand behind the man holding her prisoner. Grabbing his hair, he pulled the man's head back, directing his wand at his throat. "Let her go, now," he told him, his voice dark.

"You hurt me, I hurt her," he replied, though his voice was shaking.

Hermione glanced back at him, before lifting her leg and slamming her heel down on her captors foot, making him cry out and his arm twitch away from her for a moment. That was all it took though, as the half giant grabbed the man's wand arm while Draco shot off a stunner at the man's throat. He hung limply from the burly helper's hand, half his body on the floor while his other half was held up by his arm.

Hermione turned to Draco, wrapping her arms around his neck and shaking against him. Pressing his face against her neck, he ran his hands over her back, trying to mollify her fear. He looked up at the half-giant, nodding his thanks at him for his help. His silver eyes scanned the area around him, finding that they appeared to be victorious. Keeping her close to him, he began walking toward Lupin and Tonks who he could hear shouting their names as they ran around frantically, checking the faces of those stunned on the ground.

A shadow moved in his peripheral vision, nearing Hermione, without even thinking he turned them around so she was on the other side. The man he had thrown against the wall had woken up and was charging at the both of them, the Killing curse at the end of his tongue. Luckily though, before Draco could even lift his wand, his half giant comrade had stepped in the way, slamming a very large fist into the wizard's face, sending him flying back to collide loudly with the ground. "Me's earn my money," he told Draco, nodding happily.

Letting out a sigh mixed with a short laugh, Draco nodded at him. "You earned your money," he assured.

"Draco, Hermione," Lupin's voice could be heard yelling.

"Over here," Draco called back to him.

Their feet hit the pavement with swift claps as they came up to them, their eyes searching them for any harm. "Where'd you go? Are you all right? Have you been hurt? Should we go to St. Mungo's?" Lupin asked, his face curled with worry.

Draco almost laughed, but kept it in check. He looked like a scared father whose children had gotten lost when he wasn't looking. "I'm fine. Just a couple of bruises, nothing fatal," he replied.

Hermione didn't reply, keeping her head buried against his neck, her hands clutching at him. Draco looked down, noticing that her jeans were covered in dirt and mud from being dragged. His hand slipped down over her head, trying to turn her face out to see if she was hurt there, but came across her turning away from being seen and simply burrowing herself closer. His hand was slightly red though, so he knew she was bleeding from somewhere on her face; he must've been to preoccupied to see an injury.

"We should go," Tonks told them, her eyes darting around. Her chest was heaving from her fighting, while a cut could be seen above her eyebrow and one of her hands was holding tightly to her sliced open arm.

"Right," Lupin agreed, reaching out to pull them between him and Tonks. He glanced back at the half giant near them suspiciously.

"Oh," Draco said, looking over at him. "I owe him money," he told them, shrugging. Reaching into Hermione's hoodie pouch, he pulled out the shrunk money sac. "Right, how much was the amount on my head then?" he wondered.

"One hundred thousand galleons," Tonks replied, confused.

"Do you have a bag?" he asked, looking up at the half-giant.

Holding his two hands out, he cupped them.

"While that's big, I'm not sure two hundred thousand galleons will fit in them," Draco told him, frowning.

"You fills hands, me's fine. No double reward. Me's just need money for food," he explained shrugging.

"But I promised double," Draco told him, feeling a little like he was cheating him out of money.

"Me never wanted to hurt yous and fiancé, only to get money for food. Me thought Voldie Mort wanted yous intelligence is all," he told him, nodding. "Me hungry."

Sighing, Draco nodded, lifting the bag to pour the money into the half giants large palms. When they filled, he moved his hands back, smiling at Draco. "Thank you," he told him, smiling back. "I really appreciate your help."

"Yous and fiancé are okay now. Me go eat and you go to safe place. Me thanks you for money and hopes you and fiancé are happy." Grinning, he backed up, nodding. "Yous keep yer head."

Laughing, Draco nodded, waving his hand goodbye before he put the bag back in Hermione's pocket and turned them back to Tonks and Lupin. "Are we ready to go?" he asked.

"You made a deal with a half giant to pay him two hundred thousand galleons? To help you and Hermione?" Lupin asked, his face wide.

"Yeah, nice guy," Draco told him nodding. "He thought Voldemort's 'head reward' thing was to learn what we thought of things. He didn't understand that it really meant he wanted my head," he explained, shrugging.

Shaking his head slowly, Lupin simply waved his hand for them to leave. After making their way out of Diagon Alley, they went back to the deserted bar to use the floo system. Tonks told them the address and Lupin went through first to make sure everything was safe. They had to pry Hermione off of him, but they managed to send her through on her own, before he followed her in. As soon as he found himself in an empty flat, Hermione wrapped herself around him again. Tonks arrived a moment later, looking around quickly before walking to the door.

They decided to take a Taxi from the apartment building to wherever Tonks and Lupin had reserved a couple of hotel rooms. When Draco passed a sign that read, "Welcome to Fawsley Hall," he realized they were near Daventry in Northamptonshire. The property was beautiful, with lush green bushes and trees covering the ground, littered with snow that made it glimmer in the light. Lupin and Tonks talked in quiet tones while Draco walked Hermione into the lavish building. They stood off to the side as Tonks and Lupin spoke to the receptionist, Draco's eyes ran over the high ceilings and rather romantic lighting of it all. He briefly glanced at Tonks and Lupin, watching their quiet banter and warm smiles; he wondered if they had figured it out yet.

Making their way up to their suites across from each other, Draco brought Hermione into his and laid them down on the cushy queen sized four poster bed, sheer curtain wrapped around the poles. Lupin seemed to excuse himself for a moment, mumbling something about making sure Tonks didn't break anything. Hermione lay quietly on top of him, her body pressed against his, molded perfectly. His hands moved up and down her back, trying to reassure her that everything was fine. She hadn't said a word, hadn't made a noise, and simply wouldn't let him go. The first two bothered him, while the last really wasn't a problem, though it was unlike her. She was comfortable in his embrace, but never really clingy, not unless she was scared.

Turning her head up, she placed her chin on his chest, staring up at him with damp, brown eyes. Her fingers played with the string hanging from his hood, he could clearly see that her lip had been cut which is where the blood from earlier had come from. Lifting his hand, he lightly brushed her lip with the pad of his thumb, looking down at the now swelling mouth. His hand moved up her face, cupping her cheek while the tips of his fingers slipped into the soft waves of her hair. He wanted to say something, wanted to reassure her, but she appeared to like the quiet of it all for now.

Her legs moved down, cradling his sides as she lifted herself higher, her face hovering above his. He looked up at her, his free hand wrapping around her upper arm, rubbing it through the thick fabric of her hoodie. Leaning back, she pulled her sweater up and off, leaving her in a white top, clinging to her curves. Gooseflesh could be seen over her arms, so he resumed his movements, his fingers running over her velvety skin in a slow, calming motion. She simply sat there awhile, letting him warm her while she stared down at him with sad and thankful eyes. After a moment, she reached down to pull his hoodie off, he arched his back and lifted his shoulders to help her. She tossed them down to the floor before leaning back down, bracing herself with her arms so she was hovering above his face again.

Draco managed to push the blanket down beneath him and wrap it around them both without disturbing her position on top of him, keeping his eyes locked with hers the entire time. It was interesting how they didn't have to say a word and yet he completely understood her thinking. She was scared of how people could so easily turn on them, caring not for their lives but only the money that they would be given. It worried her that she had almost been taken, that she had just barely been saved from two cruel men who could care less that she was an innocent young girl who had just befriended someone when she was fourteen. And she was terrified of what could have happened had they not gotten away; of how they would have been separated, likely killed, and all their thoughts of futures would be null and void.

She was cold, more from fear than the winter weather. She wanted to be as close to him as possible, to prove to herself that she wasn't dreaming, that he really was there with her, which is why she refused to let him go. And the only reason she wasn't speaking was because she worried that the sound might break her surroundings, proving it to be a dream and giving her a terror ridden reality. He could understand that; he had been scared too, scared that he was going to lose her. He hadn't cared about his own safety in those moments, it was all fear of thinking she'd been caught, would be taken to Voldemort. He had faced the Dark Lord in the past, his father had made him do so, and he had been through enough beatings to accept death if it came to him. She didn't deserve that fate though, and he couldn't imagine what might've happened to her had she been caught.

"I love you," she whispered, one of her hands lifting to run her knuckles over his cheek. They had never actually said the words, just knew the meaning behind their conversation and spoke of how their love was strong and deep. It made his heart jump to hear the three meaningful words slip from her mouth. Her eyes stared down into his, tears milling in them before slipping down her cheeks and then falling to his face and making their decent down his jaw.

Draco's hands lifted, wrapping around her shoulders to slowly bring her down closer; one brushed over the back of neck, twining his fingers in her hair. Her lips met his in a slow, soft brush of affection. Her mouth trembled against his briefly, before she inhaled deeply and kissed him fully. Her body lowered to press directly against his, while her lips melded against his, her tongue slipping out to taste him. She always favored his top lip, capturing it between hers to nip at lightly and draw between her mouth with a warm passion. Her fingers slipped from one side of his face, tangling in his hair, holding him close to her.

She broke their long kiss to press shorter ones against his mouth, before slowly moving across his jaw to litter warm brushes of her lips against his skin. Her mouth moved down his neck, teeth lightly grazing his neck before she simply buried her eyes against him. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, rocking her slightly as she held on to him and let out a strangled cry in his shoulder. Her tears wet his skin, dampening his shirt and it hurt that he really couldn't do or say anything that would solve her fears. She didn't want him to say anything, he could feel it radiating off of her.

"I'm cold," she breathed, shaking her head as her back shook. Her hands moved down, pushing at his shirt, her fingers unbuttoned them slowly, while she turned to press a warm kiss against his neck. She slipped the white fabric off his shoulders and pulled it down his arms, pushing it away without thought. Her hands ran down his torso, fingers dipping in every angle, running over every muscle before they reached his jeans. His hand lifted stopped her unbuckling of his belt, looking at her with slight apprehension. She kissed him, distracting his thoughts as she undid his belt and then his jeans. He pulled back when he felt the fabric decending his legs however, slightly shocked at her behavior.

"I'm cold," she told him again, nodding, sitting up on his lap to pull her top off. He wanted to tell her that taking clothes off usually defeats the purpose of becoming warm, but he wisely kept his mouth shut. Her hands undid her jeans, removing them quickly and tossing them to the floor. Left in their underthings, she appeared satisfied as she laid back down against him, skin against skin. He realized then why she removed their clothes, for the warmth of being body to body, a sense of proof he was sure. While body heat would certainly warm her, she also wanted to know he was real and this was how she went about it. He didn't mind really, it wasn't as if he had never been half naked in front of her before. In fact, judging by her admission of when they went skinny dipping, he'd been fully naked in front of her before.

He pulled the thick blanket up high around her shoulders, it was gold and burgundy oddly enough. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she rested her head against his chest, her breathing slow and steady. Her eyes were half open as she gazed out across his skin, her fingers drawing random shapes on his neck. Her legs were tangled in his, warm and tight in their embrace. His hands ran up and down her back, fingers lightly brushing her skin and wrapping around the tendrils of her hair. "Still cold?" he asked, quietly.

"No," she told him, sighing, briefly squeezing her arms around him.

In a rather surprising way for a male, he was content just to hold her and happy that they weren't going past laying half naked with each other, more of hugging than anything else. He knew she would prefer to save themselves for after the wedding and he really wasn't bothered by the fact. It would be that much more special and he could surely wait, especially if they were going to do things like what they were now. She was warm against him, comforting in her embrace and yet in some ways fragile. He rather liked being the arms that held her steady, the body that kept her from the cold. Kissing the top of her head, he held her close in a brief hug.

Lifting her head, she stared at him for a moment before pressing her lips against his in a short but sweet kiss. Licking his lips, he lifted his hand, running his fingertips over her cheek, holding her face close to him. "I love you too," he told her, meeting her mouth in a long stroke. She smiled at him, looking more calm, radiating a soft glow around her cheeks before she placed her head back on his chest, ear against his heartbeat. He felt her body relax not long after, falling asleep against him, wrapped up in his arms, cradled against him in a lovers hold.

Looking outside, he watched the snow drift down the window, light and fluffy, the sun making it shimmer. He laid in quiet comfort as the sun slowly descended from the sky, throwing the day into night and ending another long afternoon for them. They had been lucky, escaping just barely. In the end, perhaps all it was, was luck. They seemed to be running on the slim chance of making it out alive, which wasn't reassuring in the least. One day they were bound to slip up, he didn't want to live a life on the run, hiding who they were at every corner.

He had promised her a bright future, a safe life for them, and he wouldn't let that fall through. They were going to have their wedding, move into their house, and get a dog (Helena if he was lucky). One day, they wouldn't have to walk down Diagon Alley with their hoods up or their wands held tightly in the grasp. He would fix this; he had to. Closing his eyes, he let the days events take him to a state of dreaming. He was tired, restless, and warm with Hermione against him. Life could be sweet if he were to sleep this way forever.

* * *

**A/N** _Hey. Sorry it took a little while, but I certainly haven't abandoned it. I'm working on a chapter to BITTT, so don't worry about it. Word will come about the journal entries next chapter, along with house hunting. Please review, I'd love to know what you think. Thank you for reading:D_

_Much Love,  
-**Amanda**_


	29. The World Is Cruel

**Review offering insight to the story**:

"_Wow. Thats all I can say...is wow. I'm stunned beyond words. This has been one of the most amazing reading expierences I've ever had on this website. It's definitely inspired me to go read your other Hrm/Dr stories. I stayed up for like, 18 hours to read this whole thing in one go, and lied to my friends to get out of going to a movie, just to read it. It's authors like you who inspire me beyond words. Every chapter you produce is an emotionaly gripping, spirit lurching adventure, and I look forward to reading more. Kudos on your skill and imagination, your an incredibly talented writer, and I hope you continue to share that talent and brilliance with us. Luv alwayz_," - _**silverkonekotsukari**_ of FanFiction net.

**Thank you to the following reviewers of** Chapter Twenty-Seven - _**The Good, The Bad, The Cold**_:_ Mrs. St. John Allerdyce, Secret Thought, TheSlayerettes, niic smiles, cle be, Caligirl-HPLVR, kjerstimalfoy, DaniD32, anie smiles, Steelo, Sam's Firefly, Phoenix flame01, LadyBrianna, Michelle Felton, Crazy Mishka, cmtaylor531, TomxFeltonsxWifeyx3, Weaselbee, Zarroc, Maybaby525, Danielle, smileenov, sandpaw is awesome, mskiti (Melanie), Kitsune Kida, bethygirl94, AureliaMalfoy, natyslacks, smilingtears, Hotkat144, __slytherin-princess685654, Sunflower18, mindy, **PiperPaigePhoebe01, Eternally Night, Desi Zephyr, Liynette, silverkonekotsukari** _and_ especially **ClassicPairsShipper, annieca, Princess de la Plume** _and_** galloping-goose.**_

_**Growing**_

_Chapter Twenty-Eight_

_The World Is Cruel_

_A cool wind flourished across his face, pink and white petals were stuck in its wavering grasp. They blew around him like a sweeping tornado, wrapping him in a flurry of beauty. Beams of the sun filtered through the haze of flower petals, lighting him up and warming him. The limbs of the huge trees around him caught the falling snow, shielding him and the ground he stood on. Green grass poked up from the ground in a damp circle where he occupied._

_Everything seemed to slow down then, the petals all seemed to freeze in the air, the snow stopped its decent from the sky, the air discontinued its brush against him. He realized he had been staring up, his body moving in circles with everything, but now he too stopped. He let his chin fall, stared ahead and slowly a smile appeared on his faintly cold face. She was running at him, a deliriously slow run from across the lawn. The snow disappeared from beneath her as she came, so her bare feet landed on wet green grass instead of the frozen ice that had been in her way._

_She was swathed in white,a simple dress, few frills, and it all seemed to glow and move with her. Her hair bounced with each step, curls framing her sweet face and brushing her shoulders. She reached the petals then, lifting her hands to slowly move them out of the way so she could walk through. Finally she came face to face with him, an adoring smile on her lips as her hands came up to cradle his head. They leaned in, their mouths a breath away, when it all changed._

_The petals turned black and then slowly to ash, falling from the sky and swept away by the now hectic and thick wind. The sun disappeared behind dark clouds and the atmosphere changed to that of cold and foreboding. Lighting cracked the sky to pieces while thunder shook the Earth, the trees slowly began to wither and die._

_He turned to her, questions on the tip of his tongue. But as he stared into her sweet brown eyes, she slowly darkened until she was nothing but a hazy outline of the girl he had been holding. The wind swept her away, while his hands reached out, trying their best to grab on to any part of her. They managed to catch something and held tightly. But as he pulled his hands back, all he found were two items. The engagement ring he'd placed on her finger and the wedding band they'd bought for her._

_His brow furrowed, confusion lay in his every thought. He opened his mouth to question it all, but found he couldn't speak, couldn't breathe. The rings fell from his palm as his hands hurried to his throat, only to find five pale fingers choking him. His eyes stared into the face of his father, grinning at him maliciously and laughing without a single noise escaping him. He looked eerie in the glow of the lightning, his head thrown back and his mouth open in an insane cachinnation._

_His eyes rolled to the back of his head, his hands fell from the grip they had on his father's wrist, and his body slumped with lifelessness. The air would sweep him away too, just as it had all the other things that had died. He would join her, wherever she was. All because of him. His last thought was her name._

Draco woke up with a start, his chest heaving and his body covered in sweat. His mind screamed at him to find Hermione, but he had no reason to get up. She was laying right there on top of him, her face twitching with the faint knowledge of slowly waking. Her arms were wrapped tightly around him, while the blanket was pulled up high to her shoulders. She looked peaceful, warm, so instead of letting her wake up, he ran his palms down her arms, lulling her back into sleep.

There was a faint glow to the room he was in, which he decided came from the fire burning in the grate. The window was black with night, and a clock near the bed read that it was getting quite late. He could hear voices across the room however, so he assumed Tonks and Lupin had come back in to see how things were. He wondered what the man's reaction was, as he seemed to be rather formal and stiff about certain things. Perhaps it was just because it was Hermione though, he seemed to know her well and probably still had reservations about Draco.

"If we don't wake them, room service won't bring them dinner," Lupin's voice could be heard saying.

"Oh hush, you just don't like they're sleeping together," Tonks replied. "I think it's sweet."

"They're nearly naked, at least I hope they're only _nearly_ naked," he told her, his tone rather worried. "They're young. Too young for this kind of thing. We shouldn't be condoning this. We should be talking them out of it."

There was a long pause where Draco could hear nothing but Hermione's soft breathing against him. He was calming down from the fear he had been assaulted with and was now letting himself slowly descend back into sleep. He worried he might just have another nightmare though and wasn't sure if he wanted to risk it. His eyes were fluttering and his breathing was evening out when he heard his cousin speak again, keeping him awake.

"Have you ever been in love Remus?" she wondered, quietly.

"I've... Well... I mean..." He cleared his throat, obviously unaccustomed to being asked such a personal question and being able to answer with having something proper to say. "Love is... It's difficult to decipher love and strong feelings for a person," he replied, sighing. "I've had many friends I've loved like family. And my lifestyle has often hindered me from having a relationship with a woman for too long."

There was a shuffling movement, which Draco decided was Tonks moving around to possibly face him. She seemed like the type of person who was rather forward, very outspoken with what she thinking or saying. It was obvious that she cared for the werewolf, and perhaps she had kept her feelings at bay all this time. "Sometimes, love doesn't even need a relationship to bloom though," she told him, her voice rather wistful. "Draco and Hermione, they lived with friendship for three years only to come to the realization that they've been in love for awhile now. That perhaps that friendship was just leading to something more. Something incredible," she said, sighing.

"I've loved you for years Remus John Lupin, and it wouldn't matter if I were seventeen or fifty. Love doesn't work on age or situations. It's all feelings and nobody can decide when they feel them. Those two fell in love during a war, a time when those they cared about were at ends with each other. But they never once doubted one another and that's what love is, Remus.

"You might think me too young, or even too clumsy. You might not love me like I do you, and perhaps you see me as that quirky friend who's there but not seen. But it doesn't matter. Because I see you, I know you, and I love you. Whether you're a werewolf or a man, I don't care. And the sooner you figure that out, the sooner we can enjoy something incredible. They've found it, don't ruin it for them. Take it from me that when you get this feeling, there is nothing better in the world."

Draco heard movement again and shortly after the door closed behind her. He felt sympathy for her, knowing how hard it must've been to walk away, to simply put all of herself out there and hope it turned out right. He had been lucky, Hermione had felt the same way, but not everybody has their love returned. He was sure though; he had seen it in Lupin, he loved her too. Maybe it was a hero complex, perhaps he was scared of hurting her one full moon, so he chose to save her instead.

Lupin sighed in the background; heavy with various emotions, Draco deduced. He wondered if perhaps the former professor was regretting not going after her. "You shouldn't let her go," he called out, knowing it probably wasn't his place, but doing it anyway.

There was a mildly amused guffaw on Lupin's part before he shuffled over to Draco, plopping down on a chair and looking over at him with a lifted brow. "How long 'ave you been awake?" he wondered, sticking the fire with a poker to spur it to life.

"Since you commented that we'd miss out on dinner if we didn't wake up soon," he replied, resting one of his arm's on the small of Hermione's back while the other one curled beneath his head. "I don't usually eavesdrop, but it was a little hard not to," he explained, shrugging slightly.

"Can I ask you something, Draco?" he wondered, scratching his chin.

"Sure," he replied, noticing that Lupin looked rather miserable sitting by the fire. He wondered when the next full moon was, or if it had just happened. Then again, perhaps it was just the knowledge that he had let Tonks walk away that had him upset.

"You and Hermione, you've had to put up with a lot of things lately, haven't you?" he queried, focusing his eyes on the flames that licked at the stone fireplace.

Draco snorted, feeling it was a bit of an understatement. "Well, when we were first revealed as friends, everybody we cared about turned their backs on us. To add salt to the wound, somebody managed to get a hold of Hermione's journal and began sending out copies of it to the students. Then, when we began getting the people who really mattered back, Hermione was killed by a curse my father sent her," he said, sighing. "To save her I had to be possessed and face the likelihood of death or suicide. She, being the most intelligent witch alive, managed to save me from my certain demise.

"Then, because fate is cruel and unwavering in its lack of sympathy, my father took me away to St. Mungo's. Because we're terrible at listening to other people when we're told to stay away from one another, she came looking for me when my mother and aunt sent word that she should. She was apparently going to come that night anyway, though. Which ended in my father and I fighting, each trying to kill the other. Only to have me nearly die and my mother taken away to Merlin knows where."

He paused, shaking his head at his life and letting out a self deprecating laugh. "And now, we're on the run from Death Eater's, Voldemort, the Ministry, and the majority of the Wizarding world. All because we were friends. They don't even know that we're getting married," he finished, frowning.

Lupin nodded, snorting at the insanity the two teens had been through. His shoulders were slumped and he didn't turn back when he spoke again, keeping his focus away from Draco. "If you could go back though, to the day it all changed and you became friends, would you?" he wondered, swallowing. "I mean, it would stop all of those things from happening. The pain, the sadness, the loss of trust."

Draco turned his eyes up, thinking it over for a moment and then looked down at Hermione. "Never," he replied, firmly. Pulling his arm from behind his head, he ran the tip of his finger down her cheek. "It hurt and it was terrible, but I wouldn't trade it all if it meant I couldn't have her."

Exhaling heavily, he turned back to Remus, who had looked over at him. "Tonks said it right when she explained love. It never depends on age or whether the timing is right. You can't decide who you love or when it finally happens for you. And when it does, you should be able to face anything that comes at you. Because if it's real, if it's the kind of love I have for Hermione, then you're going to know that you would give it all for her. You'd face Voldemort every day if it meant holding her like this every night."

Nodding, he smiled briefly. "And you'll know that she loves you no matter the situation or the problem. She's not going to care about how much money you have in your pocket or what dire situation lies in the future. Love is about now. It's about focusing on what you have in that moment and never letting it go. If you focus too much on what could happen, or what faults you think you have, then you miss out on what's standing right in front of you," he told him.

Laughing shortly, Draco smiled warmly at Hermione sleeping comfortably on his chest. "I have most of the world against me, and I'll have to face every one of them for the rest of my life just because I love someone they don't think I should. And the situation is bad; everything she epitomizes is against everything I was raised to be. And most people don't trust us, but we've always relied more on each other than anybody else anyway." Shaking his head, he sighed. "Sometimes you just have to accept things as they are and know that even if you could change them, even if it might be better if you did, you shouldn't. Because some things are just meant to be, and you shouldn't mess with a good thing when it's given to you."

Remus stared at him a moment, before nodding slowly. "I'm a poor man, who's too old to keep up with her lively spirit, and I have a monthly problem that could possibly hurt her one day," he said, simply.

"D'you love her?" Draco asked, staring at him seriously.

Remus chuckled, smiling warmly and nodding his head. "I probably shouldn't, but I really do."

"And we both know she loves you," he said, lifting his brow. "Don't deal in futures, deal in the current way of things. Forget about tomorrow and love her for today."

"And if it doesn't work out?" he asked, his face awash with sorrow.

"Then you had her for that moment," Draco said, shrugging.

Remus rose slowly from his chair, crossing his arms and staring at the fire for a moment. "I hope you and Hermione work out, Draco," he told him, nodding. "If there's no hope for you two, then I don't believe there's any for the rest of us." Turning, he crossed the room, his hand wrapped around the handle and turned before he looked back at the boy on the bed. "Thank you," he said, simply, before walking out and closing the door behind him.

"That was nice of you," Hermione mumbled, making Draco laugh.

"I think we both need to work on our privacy skills," he replied, leaning in to kiss her forehead. She snuggled in closer to him, so his arms came out to wrap around her, pulling her up against his chest in a warm embrace. "I think we should go house hunting tomorrow," he told her, running his hands up and down her back.

"I thought we already had a house picked out," she replied, lifting her head and smiling down at him sweetly.

"It is a beautiful home," he agreed, nodding. "D'you think we could convince Tonks or Lupin to go back and exchange some of our money for Muggle currency?"

"It might take a little pleading, but I'm sure in the end, one of them will do it," she said, nodding.

Reaching up, Draco ran a hand over the side of her face, pushing back her unruly curls. "Are you happy, Hermione?" he asked, quietly. "With the way things have turned out, d'you ever--"

Her hand pressed against his mouth, cutting off his words. "I wouldn't trade it either," she whispered, shaking her head. "I would never go back and change anything. Things have been difficult and hard, but having you here... like this... it makes up for that," she told him, nodding.

Draco smiled beneath her hand, pressing his lips against her palm in a content kiss. Her eyes softened and her mouth slowly curled up in saccharine smile. She cuddled in against him again, her eyes easing their way shut as he stroked her hair and ran his hand up and down her soft, bare back. Before long, they had slipped away into a peaceful sleep, free of nightmares and the terrors reality held.

When Draco woke up, he found Hermione staring up at him with doe-like eyes. The sun fell on her, making her glow beautifully. She sat up in his lap, the blanket slipping down her body as she moved. She took his hands in hers, twining their fingers and smiling at him; a secret behind her grin that spoke volumes about her feelings for him.

She leaned down, pressing her lips against his stomach and rubbing her nose against his warm skin. He laughed, a low, throaty, sleep laced cachinnation. Her mouth lazily kissed its way up his torso, stopping just before his neck as she smoothed her body down against his. She bypassed his throat to press her lips against his chin, staring at him with pretty brown eyes covered by long dark lashes. He sighed beneath her, his mouth drawing up in a content smile. She moved in to cover it with her own, smothering his grin with a warm, adoring, morning kiss.

Letting go of one of her hands, he buried it in her soft hair; the curls molded themselves against his fingers. His other hand was freed from hers when she let go to run it up his side before twining it around his bicep. His arm wrapped around her back, his fingers splayed out over her hip, a faint pressure holding her close to him. He suddenly felt very awake, and forgot all about the worries outside of the room. Turning them over, he found himself nuzzled comfortably between her legs, their mouths still embracing each others.

Her legs wrapped around his waist, ankles locking behind his back. It reminded him of when he used to carry her around on his back, except she was behind him then and they hadn't been kissing. His arm carefully moved out from beneath her to trail down her side and over her hip. His hand fanned out over her thigh, fingertips drawing circles on her skin. Her hands were running through his hair and over his shoulder, keeping him close and tickling his skin.

He broke away from her mouth, his breathing heavy as he trailed down her neck, pressing his lips against her sensitive skin and nipping lightly at the curve where her throat met her shoulder. He knew they should slow down, back off a little, they were getting a little too close for it to be anything innocent. His mind told him to pull away, but his mouth refused to listen, his hands continued to touch her. He was so involved with her, he hadn't heard the door open or the faint noise of people speaking.

He did however hear the clearing of a throat, and it had him so surprised that he literally jumped off of her, in the wrong direction. He landed roughly on the floor, breathing erratically and knowing he was likely flushed from embarrassment and the steady flow he and Hermione had going together. He lifted his head just slightly, to see an amused Remus and Tonks staring at him, both appearing to hold back laughter at his fall.

Hermione peeked her head over the side of the bed, her cheeks flaming and the blanket wrapped tightly around her body. She let out a nervous chuckle, biting her lip and silently asking if he was okay. Sitting up, he leaned his arms on his knees and stared up at their two bodyguards through the strands of hair that hung past his eyes. "Is there something you needed?" he asked, his voice rather hoarse.

"Yes, actually," Remus said, nodding. "We received word from Dumbledore and a letter for each of you. One from a Blaise Zabini and the other from Harry."

"What did Dumbledore have to say?" Hermione asked, avoiding looking at them as she leaned back against the headboard.

"There was a problem in Hogsmeade that he believes was an attack. There was no Dark Mark, but he thinks it was the work of someone loyal to Voldemort," Lupin said, nodding.

"What happened?" Draco asked, pulling himself up off the floor and moving to sit on the bed, crawling across Hermione to slip beneath the covers and put his arms behind his head comfortably.

"The chapel near by was burned to the ground," he said, staring at them pointedly. "Nobody was harmed in the process, but the entire chapel is in ruins."

Draco felt his face drain of colour and his stomach flip with the news. "It's-- It's gone?" he asked, his voice rather choked as he ran a hand over his face.

Remus cleared his throat, nodding. "I'm afraid this is an obvious message to the both of you."

Draco's shoulders slumped and he shook his head, his eyes closed tightly. This was his fault. He should've been more careful. This meant that his father, or somebody of importance, knew that he and Hermione were getting married. Not just that, but they knew where and probably who would be there. Because of him, Blaise, Luna, Potter and Weasley, were all in trouble. And the people that had owned the chapel, if they hadn't sold him out, which he was sure they hadn't, their entire business had been burnt to the ground because of him. How could he make up for that? And what was he supposed to do now?

He had to apologize, he had to send them some kind of help for what had happened. His mind was whirring with what was going to happen now. Did this mean it wasn't safe for them to get married? If he and Hermione picked another chapel, it too could be burned down. He wasn't willing to risk the lives of innocent people. How did they find out? He hadn't said anything to anybody but the owners of the chapel and the trusted people who were invited. Oh, and of course his aunt, Tonks, and Lupin. Then there was the woman who sold them the rings; but he had a feeling she was _for_ them rather than _against _them. The only other person he knew was the half-giant that helped him save Hermione. Was it possible he didn't know he should keep it quiet? But who could he tell? Maybe somebody had overheard? There were so many questions, so many doubts.

Hermione's hand touched his shoulder, pulling him from his thoughts. He turned to her quickly, startled by the sudden touch. He stared at her a moment, wondering what she was thinking. If she was upset, if she blamed him for not keeping it more quiet. But her eyes were warm, understanding, and offering of reassurance. She smiled, a short, sweet movement that meant she knew he was worrying himself but that he shouldn't. It had always been like this. Words weren't needed. Sometimes the simplest of gestures are the greatest.

Lupin cleared his throat, rocking on his feet and waiting for them to look back at him. He handed them their letters when they turned, nodding shortly and then crossing the room to sit on the couch with Tonks. He was offering them time to recoup, to think over what had happened before bombarding them with his thoughts on things. Draco was grateful that he had taken into consideration that they had just laid something heavy on them.

He stared down at the thin letter a moment, unsure if he wanted to open it. However, he knew he could trust Blaise and whatever he was writing about had to be at least somewhat spirit lifting. Blaise had always been a humorous boy, who often used hilarity to get away from his own feelings. It was refreshing when Draco wasn't in the mood to focus too hard on the reality of things. He feared something had happened though. Was Potter and Blaise writing at the same time coincidence or had something caused them both to write an urgent letter to their friends?

Finally, he slipped his finger through the flap, tugging on it until it ripped slightly and came loose. He stared at the open envelope for a moment, before extracting the parchment that lay inside. It was one page, simple and scrawled in Blaise's regal strokes, though they looked hurried now, rushed as if something bad had happened and he had to get it all down before he ran into trouble. His eyes ran over the words hurriedly, as if the urgency was so blatant that he had to get it all in one sweeping move of his sight.

His letter was much more dark than Draco had expected, and he blamed it on the fact that things at school had apparently gotten bad. Pansy had accused Hermione of attacking her and most people had no reason not to believe it. The Gryffindor's were behind Potter and Weasley who firmly said that Parkinson showed up to attack Hermione first.

Also, Blaise and the others had been told about the attack in Hogsmeade, which Draco was sure Lupin and Tonks had sent word to Dumbledore as soon as they were away from him and Hermione. He sounded scared, though he hid it well. It was almost as if Blaise didn't want to come right out and say that he was worrying. But his quill was against him, because it penned things in a way that showed his fear:

"_He told us that you and Hermione were nearly taken. I don't think I have to tell you that the lot of us went ballistic. He promised us that you would be safe. Potter, always the hero, shouted that he was leaving. He said he'd find you guys his self and make sure that nothing happened. He was yelling about how every time he's promised those he cares about will be safe, he's lied too. It's true though, isn't it D? Are you really safe? And for how long? Merlin, I feel like a pathetic girl writing this. I'm not crying, I swear I'm not. Those spots over the paper are from when Luna spat her pumpkin juice out at something Potter said. I swear."_

He went on for awhile about how Dumbledore had calmed them down and stopped Potter from running to their rescue. Then he laid in on how everybody was doing now that they were gone. Draco wasn't surprised to hear that Luna was scared too. She had a tendency of being in her head a lot, but her friends were her family. All she had was her father at home, who she loved very dearly, but at school she was ignored on a regular basis. She found her group though, especially after his and Hermione's friendship came out. He remembered when she told him once that their being revealed as friends was one of the best things to happen in her life. Because of it, she was surrounded by the best friends she could ask for. He wished he could reassure her now, but knew that writing her or seeing her was against the escape plan. Her and Blaise were leaning on each other though, he was thankful for that. Hermione would be happy to know that her best girl friend had somebody to rely on.

"_Luna stays in the Head dorm nowadays. She says she feels too cut off from you guys when she's in the Ravenclaw dorms. She sleeps in Hermione's bed, and sometimes I find her crying in there. Potter reassures her that nothing is going to happen to either of you. But she just keeps saying that we won't know until it's too late. I don't like this D. I don't think we should be separated from you guys right now. With the lack of people behind you, you should at least have those who are, with you. They won't tell us where you are or if you can write back. They just tell us you're alive and together. While that's somewhat reassuring, it's not entirely comforting."_

Then he found exactly what he was both avoiding and needing to read. Blaise told him the story of the chapel, and he didn't leave anything out that would make him feel better about it. He told him exactly what he thought, what he saw, what he knew. That was Blaise. He was forward and he wouldn't spare your feelings unless it was absolutely necessary. He liked that about him, it somehow made him more trustworthy.

"_Things are getting out of hand. The chapel is gone. It was blown up two days ago. I was outside with Luna, walking 'round the Black Lake and discussing our Christmas holiday's when suddenly the Earth rocked. Smoke spilled into the sky and most of us gathered to find out what it was. Dumbledore informed us that there was a horrible occurrence in Hogsmeade and the little chapel just on the outskirts of his had been set on fire and hit with numerous Reductor curses. It's in ruins, D. Nobody was killed but I heard the owners were hysterical about it. They're an older couple, who've been living there and working the chapel for most of their lives. They have nothing now. Absolutely nothing. I don't like it at all. It wasn't coincidence!_

_Luna, Potter, Weasley, and I went through the tunnels to assess the damage and it's practically dust. Luna says that you won't have to worry about chapel moths now, even though she searched for an hour and found none. She said something about how when a Chapel moth's home is destroyed, if it lives, it stays around the wreckage for exactly three days and then dies. Weasely called it rot, but when we were there, I saw one. It was burnt badly, its wings barely moving. It could've left though, if it really wanted to. Instead, it hung 'round, hardly moving as it lay on a charred chunk of wood."_

And then things got even worse. Apparently, the journal thief had decided that even with Hermione gone, he or she would still send it out to spite her. While their friends had said they never read it, Blaise admitted that there was no need to. Hermione and Draco were both being spoken about amongst the students, and none of it sounded good. Potter had sent along the entry that had been handed out though, and while they had banned together like every time before, trying to get it away from the students, it still got out. It always got out. Of course, it couldn't just about Hermione's past with him, but her future too. "_There are whispers going around that you're engaged, and I believe that it will become a known thing soon. I have a feeling that the paper will be spilling your secret to the Wizarding world,_" he read, feeling the weight of it all crush him painfully. Not even something that was supposed to be just theirs could be kept from the prying eyes of the people who didn't even care about them.

As he read on, he wasn't surprised to find that Blaise and the rest of the world knew his mother was now missing and his father was wanted for attempted murder and kidnapping. Or that the students were divided between thinking Draco deserved nearly getting killed for his acts of "traitor," and feeling sorry for him for having one helluva father. And it wasn't really much of a shock to know that some of the Slytherin's were boasting about being the ones who would bring in Draco and Hermione. Blaise said it was all codswallop, that none of them would have the guts to look for them, let alone bring them in to Voldemort. Still though, knowing that people wanted them dead that much, it was a real eye opener.

His favorite part had to be the ending though. Not just because he found out that Luna might be getting her chance, since Potter and the Weaselette officially called it off, but because of Luna's parting words. He found a grin surface at reading them: "_Luna is shouting that she misses you both and that you should eat your turnips because they scare off... Oh what does it matter. Just eat your turnips._" It was uplifting to know that his friends weren't going through so much back at the school that they weren't like themselves. Luna was still, for lack of a better word, loony, and Blaise was still Blaise. He ended the letter with a few words of worry, carefully hidden in an offhanded way. "_Be careful D, don't do anything I wouldn't to. And take care of Princess. Tell her I miss her and that she should eat her turnip's too. Just seven days left._"

Laying his letter down, he turned to Hermione, whose eyes were teary and mouth was shaking. She glanced at him, sniffling and handing her letter over for him to read. He gave her his and held hers with one hand as he ran the other through her hair, calming her. She sighed, a small noise to reassure him that she was going to be okay, she was just a little upset.

Potter's letter was much like Blaise's. He warned her of the same thing's Blaise had warned Draco, but his was much more adamant on his worry. He didn't hide it like Blaise, he made it clear with outright statements about how he wasn't sure how safe they were. He said that the world was becoming a hazard to them and he wasn't sure who to trust anymore. And he blatantly told her that he was getting more scared every day. That Voldemort was becoming more prominent in his mind, telling that the War was approaching, and quick. He was heartfelt and open with her, like a family member who deeply cares.

The second piece of parchment was her journal entry, and he turned to her, unsure if he should read it. She stared at it, her expression sad, but she nodded all the same, looking up at him with eyes that told him he should. He wasn't so sure, but he did, because she wanted him to know and it might be better if he did. The paper was rough beneath his fingers and smelled faintly of something he recognized but couldn't pin point. The writing looked exactly like Hermione's, because they had simply copied and pasted it with their wands, rather than rewrite it a few hundred times.

**December 27, 1996**

_Dear self,_

_You have just enjoyed a wonderful Christmas. It was filled with presents, a ton of chocolate, and the love of an incredible family. You should be basking in the wonderful feeling of living this life. There are no worries, there are no problems. You should be enjoying this Christmas and forgetting all about what lies ahead for you when you return to school. But you can't. Why? Simple. Draco. Where is he right now? You know exactly where he is. He is at _"home"_ with that awful family who doesn't deserve him._

_Every summer he comes to your house and he lives his days as if there is nothing but you and him in this world. Every summer is his break, his refuge from the storm. And you hate that you can't give that to him every day. He's probably sitting at home, surrounded by presents but with no love at all. And you write him. Merlin knows you've written so many letters, he's probably sitting on the floor, rolling with laughter at the fact that you've repeated the same thing over and over again. You, Hermione, are not one to repeat yourself. But still, all you find yourself writing to him is the same thing:_

_'Draco. Happy Christmas. What have you received this year? You should see the books I've got. You won't believe some of the things they have written in them. I wish you were here. I wish you were sipping cocoa with me by the fire. It's heavenly Draco, and it would be all the more if you were here. Mum and dad talk about you constantly. Your gifts are sitting beneath the tree; they're waiting for you. You should be with us. Not with them. With us. You belong here. One day, I promise you. One day, we will spend Christmas together. Just us. Nobody else in the world.'_

_Some of the words are different, but the meaning is always the same. He doesn't belong with them. He's never belonged with them. You spend your nights dreaming of the summer heat, of riding on the handlebars of the bike he directs to the store down the road. You find yourself dreaming of his warm smile and those silver eyes that show so much more than anyone knows. And you look out your window at the street below, thinking of when you and he used to take Helena for walks, and stop at the lake for a cool swim. Of when he'd give you piggy back rides while you'd point him toward the park to get an ice cream. All those days where it was just you two; because those are the days that matter._

_No, he's never belonged with them. He's only ever belonged with you. It 's completely wrong. He should have a family that loves him. But your his family. Your his friend and his confidant. And sometimes, you must admit, there are moments where you think perhaps... just perhaps... you two were meant to be something more than what you are. It would explain why you pine for him so. Why you want him there with you so badly. But that could just be because you want him to be happy, couldn't it? Isn't it?_

_The world is a cruel place, Hermione Granger. Because if it were good, if it were at all nice, Draco would be sitting with you downstairs, playing a nice game of Scrabble or some other board game that tests your smarts. And he'd whine that really, we must buy something more fun than educational, and you'd remind him that education is everything. And he'd chase you outside and you'd sit together on the porch swing and stare at the stars, where he'd tell you that some things are meant to be enjoyed, not analyzed or picked apart. Until mum or dad beckons you inside, telling you to at least put your coats on, because it is far too chilly for you to be running 'round in slippers and pajamas. _

_But he's not here with you, and as often as you write, he will not just show up one afternoon and spend it with you. You and he are made for summers, and secret meetings at school. The world is too mean to let you have each other. Friendship, though it's supposed to be blind acceptance, is reigned over by everything. The who's and the why's and the what's and the where's. You can never just be. It can never just be you and Draco. Because the world won't let it, Hermione. And you can try and change it, Merlin knows you always do. But it won't let you. It won't let you!_

_And Draco will stay at Malfoy Manor, where he's ignored and left without love. And you will sit in your room, penning silly little notes to yourself about the ways of the world and your dreams of having your best friend with you. And when it all comes crashing down on you, when he's taken away for good or you're left out in the cold for your friendship with him, all you're going to have left is this journal. All you're going to have is the written memories of that sweet boy with silver eyes, who always understood you and kept you from the evil darkness of the world. And he'll be left all alone, with the letters of a brown eyed girl who dearly loved him so. And the promises you shared will stay locked in your hearts, only for you to know._

_Because the world is cruel, Hermione. It's cruel and you know it. One day you'll have to accept that._

But things hadn't turned out that way. They had gone against the world. She hadn't accepted it, she had fought it. And they would spend this Christmas together, whether or not they spent part of it in a Chapel. There were other places to get married and no matter what the situation, this Christmas was going to be theirs. He turned to her, seeing that she was silently crying and the letter from Blaise lay limp on her lap. He pulled her to him, holding her against his chest and letting her cry on his shoulder.

"What did we do?" she asked, her arms tight around his neck. "What did we do to deserve their hate?" she wondered, shaking her head. "How can being friends and loving you be so wrong, when it feels so right?"

"It's not wrong," he told her, his hand running down her hair and over her back. "They don't matter. We're stronger than them. We don't need their approval. And what happened to the chapel, it was sad and wrong. It was a message that truly hurt, but we can't let them deter us." Leaning back, he framed her damp face, holding her near him and staring at her seriously. "The world is cruel Hermione, but we're going to fight it together."

She stared at him, her eyes searching his before she nodded. Inhaling a shaky breath, she leaned in and hugging him tightly. "I'm not going to let you go," she whispered. "I'm going to hold on to you forever. And they can try and pull me away. They can tell me to let go, but I promise you I never will," she told him, her hand caressing the back of his neck.

"It's just us," he breathed, his arms tightening around her. "Us against the world, but I'll never let them take you from me." He closed his eyes, burying it against her neck. He held her until she calmed down, rubbing her back and soothing away her fears. When she finally felt relaxed, she moved to lay beside him, holding his hand tightly in hers.

Seven days, that was all that was left until they got married. There was no time to look for a chapel and really, he didn't want to risk another business. It would have to be a place out of the way, somewhere nobody in the Wizarding world would think to look.

He turned to Lupin and Tonks, an idea coming to him. "How willing would either of you be to exchange money for us?" he asked, catching their attention.

"What for?" Lupin asked, sitting forward in his seat.

"There's a house in London," he told them, turning to Hermione. "And we want to buy it."

"It has a beautiful back yard," she said, nodding as she came to understand his thinking.

"I bet if the weather is nice, we could have the wedding there," he replied, smiling.

"And if it's not, there's a lot of space inside. I'm sure we could set it up," Hermione agreed, grinning.

Draco turned back to Remus and Tonks, his cousin smiling broadly. "So, could you?" he asked, lifting a brow questioningly.

"I will," Tonks agreed, readily.

Hermione tugged on his hand so he turned to her, she smiled faintly, her question in her eyes. "And the Granger's," he said, watching her face light up. "Jane and Henry have to be there," he said, firmly.

"Oh, Draco, I'm not sure if that's possible," Remus said, frowning. "They've been moved to a safe house."

"Well they can take Christmas off to come to our house," he replied, seriously. "There is no way that they're missing our wedding," he told them, looking back over at the two adults. "And nobody knows about this house, it's never been mentioned in a letter or to anyone we know. It's strictly between Hermione and I, so there won't be any problems," he assured.

Tonks and Remus shared a look, their eyes communicating the words they wouldn't say in front of Draco and Hermione. He watched them, trying to see what they would say. He wasn't going to back down on the subject. Lucius and Voldemort could keep coming at them. They could keep throwing things in their way. But in the end, he was going to laugh in their face and continue on. His life was not something they could control anymore. His life was with Hermione and it was going to go according to plan. He would make it.

* * *

**A/N** _Hey everybody! Sorry it took a little while to get this chapter up. What with all my other stories and a lack of wanting to write for a little while, it just took some effort. However, I would like to thank Emma and her friend, who wrote me a private message in hopes that I would get another chapter out soon. Here you are, I hope you enjoyed it. I'll try to keep up on writing._

_Oh and those who haven't checked them out, please see my other DM/HG stories:_

_"**A Family Affair**," is one I've started recently. It's about Draco actually being Sirius' son. Sirius is still alive and Harry comes to live with him the summer after sixth year. Dumbledore is dead, and Draco does know that he's Sirius' son. It's been getting some wonderful reviews, and I'd love to know what you all think. It goes back and forth between Draco, Harry, and on occasion, Sirius' point of view._

_Another story I'd love for you to read is my two-shot, "**For You, Always For You**," which is about Draco dealing with the after effects of almost killing Dumbledore. He's on the run and goes to the smartest witch he knows to figure out what to do. It's a tragic/romance that's all finished. I'd love to know what you think of it. It took A LOT of work to write something that wasn't a full fledged, long, drawn out story. So please read it, I'd love to read your thinking on it._

_Thank you all for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a review, I'd really appreciate it._

_Much Love,  
-**Amanda**_


	30. Children Know Best

**Review offering insight to the story**:

"_I've loved reading every chapter you've written, and you're a truelly talented writer. This chapter was no different. I cant imagine the work you put into getting out your lovely chapters as quickly as you do. I'm writing my own fanfiction, and I'm dreadful at getting my chapters out on a regular, and recent basis. With your past chapter, it was a bit of a relief to know that a Chapel is out(hopefully) of the question. Emma and I being the avid fanfiction nerds that we are, have spent much time predicting whats going to happen. Emma has told me of her "Brilliant" plan many times, and I believe her to a degree, being as I had related thoughts in mind. I truly love reading your writing, and its always nice to be able to read a well written fanfiction as apposed to some of the other "stories" you find. I really enjoy the bond and connection you've created with Draco and Hermione, and I think that really showed in this past chapter. While it is nice for the couple to have some time where their not being attacked by some foul person or another, I cant wait for the action to start up again. I'm anxious to see if what I have in mind for the pair is right or not. I'm also wondering about the mischievious (and horrible) someone who has been releasing Hermione's Journal Entries. Now it seemed like you gave a subtle hint as to who it might be when you said "...smelled faintly of something he recognized but couldn't pin point." and I'm starting to get a few people in mind as to who it could possibly be. I took the dream at the beginning of the chapter as a huge hint as to what's to possibly come, until I read the end where they've made the decision to have the wedding at the house they love. But who knows, for a long time I thought the dreams were a major foreshadow scheme, although now I'm not so sure. With all the twists and turns of this fic I think its wise to believe anything under the sun could happen_." - **_UniTexasWriter11 (Emily)_** of FanFiction net.

**Thank you to the following reviewers of** Chapter Twenty-Eight - _**The World Is Cruel**_: _Danielle, Hotkat144, cle be, marauder-cin, jindalshweta, cmtaylor531, Phoenix flame01, Zarroc, Weaselbee, Lote22, bethygirl94, Sam's Firefly, Steelo, nel, Laendra, Aurelia Malfoy, Caligirl-HPLVR, my teeth are sharp, broadwaychick07, untamedspiral, Hello Dear,, **Liynette, jk rowling the 2nd, niic smiles, mskiti (Melanie), angelrider93**_ and_ especially **anie smiles, PiperPaigePhoebe01, Kyuuketsuki - Plot Biotch, UniTexasWriter11 (Emily), Classic Pairs Shipper (Emma)**_, and **_galloping-goose._**

_**Growing**_

_Chapter Twenty-Nine_

"_Children" Know Best_

Hermione spent the next three days on the telephone, finding the Realtor of the property her and Draco were interested in buying. When she wasn't trying to find Bernice Holmstruck, she was going through wedding plans with Draco. They didn't want it too big or extravagant, they wanted something memorable though. Remus had promised to talk it over with Dumbledore concerning her parents and Tonks had left shortly after the conversation to have the money exchanged. She ran into no problems, but her absence had Remus extra on guard for nearly an hour.

Because Hermione was unable to write back to any of her friends, she dearly hoped that Tonks or Remus had made sure to remind them that she needed her wedding dress and Draco needed his grooms outfit. She was beginning to feel frazzled with her attention being solely on moving forward and trying not to focus too much on what was going on in the world against her and Draco. He reminded her constantly that she shouldn't worry, shouldn't think about it too much.

Staring down at the papers in front of her, she pressed her fingers against her temples feeling a headache form. It was late at night, Tonks and Remus had already gone to bed, leaving her and Draco a room to themselves. They had been surprised to find the two Aurors had thought it all right for them to be left alone, but then realized just how many alerts and wards Lupin had put up and it didn't seem as unbelievable. Plus, he and Tonks were getting much closer, so she had the sneaking suspicion that they were using their alone time as a romantic vacation of sorts.

She had drawn out, roughly albeit, her and Draco's ideas for the wedding. They had checked the weather reports for Christmas and found that in the area they would be, there would be a lot of hassle with damp grass, mud, chilly air, a bit of snow, and the like. So they decided to have it inside, in the large hall they had walked by while perusing the property that summer. It was elegant, with dark wood walls and gold trimming in beautiful patterns.

Feeling a delicate kiss against her neck, Hermione turned her eyes up to see Draco leaning over her. His hands pressed into her shoulders, kneeding the tension away as he scanned the drawings with his misty silver eyes. "We need to relax," he told her, leaning down to brush his cheek against hers. "How 'bout a swim in the pool downstairs?" he suggested, a devilish smirk rising on his handsome features.

"Pool?" she asked, her brow lifting with question. "Draco, it's nearly midnight, the pool closes at nine," she reminded in her no-nonsense voice, though the idea did sound quite tempting.

"That's what _Alohomara _is for," he told her, standing up and sighing with a grin. "Com'on, you've had enough work. Let's have some fun," he said, his hand taking hers and drawing her from her chair, tugging her to the door.

"We don't have suits," she exclaimed, her eyes widening and her brows lifting.

"Who said anything about wearing clothes while we were swimming?" he asked, cockily, his pace increasing slightly as if he worried she might just call it off and not leave the room with him.

Shaking her head at his antics, she thought over the pros and cons of skinny dipping in a pool at the elegant place they were staying. Tomorrow they'd be checking out and leaving to meet the Realtor she had managed to contact, setting up a meeting. It hadn't been sold yet, luckily, and the woman sounded very interested in selling the property. Hermione wanted to talk to her personally though, make sure the deeds and everything that showed their ownership was kept quiet as much as possible. She didn't want people sniffing around and finding their new place, she wanted it safe and hidden.

She briefly wondered how Draco had deactivated the charms and such around the room, but then remembered that Remus had set them up to recognize only the four of them and allow them exit and entrance. They were both strictly told never to leave the room without either Remus or Tonks, but there they were, gallivanting around the quiet, rather eerie at night, Fawsley Hall. She had to stifle a laugh with her hand as they stopped at a corner and Draco peered around it to make sure the coast was clear.

They made it to the pool without problem, using his wand to unlock it. Only the lights inside the pool were on and they decided not to turn any others on just to make sure they weren't caught. Draco smirked at her, tugging his white buttoned shirt up over his head and tossing it to the floor. He was working on his pants when Hermione realized she probably shouldn't be staring at him the entire time and might try taking some of her own clothes off. Her fingers wrapped around the bottom of her red wool sweater and pulled it up and over her head, before working their way through her pale lavender blouse.

She remembered that last time they had done this, a couple years back when they were fifteen and had snuck down to the lake on the bike to enjoy a late night swim. He had dared her and she dared him back, so they were stuck shimmying out of their clothes and jumping off the dock into the cool water. They had agreed not to look, but as a curious fifteen year old girl, she couldn't help one little peek. From the corner of her eyes, she watched him kick away his pants. He was taller now, more muscled and firm. His shoulders were wide while his waist slimmed down, giving him a lithe form. Her favorite was his arms, strong and steady, always protective when they wrapped around her. As if feeling her gaze, he looked over at her, winking with his trademark smirk.

She felt herself flush mildly but she grinned back all the same, turning to finish removing her own clothes. When they stood completely bare, Hermione dipped her toe in, checking the water. She heard Draco snort and turned to tell him that there was nothing wrong with making sure she wasn't about to freeze to death, but found him right beside her. He took her hand and lifted one brow, and before she could open her mouth, he had jumped, pulling her with him. Beneath the cool water, her eyes shot open, looking out at Draco who would've been laughing had it not been for the possible choking hazard around him.

They burst through the top nearly at the same time and Hermione was about to bite his head off, but instead found her mouth was being otherwise occupied by his. He broke away while she was still in a daze and began doing the backstroke out to the middle. Feeling her annoyance melt away, she let herself relax and enjoyed the still calm of swimming late at night in a dark pool. There was only the noise of their soft splashing and breathing around her, which was a remedy for her headache. She had stared too long at paper, spent too much time on a phone, and had worried over what would happen later far too often.

It felt good to be doing something so much like they would during their summer's. Usually during this time of year, Hermione would be at home, wondering what he was doing and hoping he was all right. Lately though all that had been on her mind was keeping safe. She always worried about the future while Draco kept telling her to focus on the present. She could tell it worried him too, but he was doing his best to think only of the events that would transpire within the next few days. She loved that about him; he was the one keeping her grounded. In just a few days she'd managed to get together plans for a wedding, schedule a meeting for buying their dream house, and steal away a few moments with just Draco. She had missed times like this but she wasn't going to waste them away now.

"Next summer," Draco called out to her, quiet enough for only her to hear, "we'll be doing this in the lake down from our house," he said, sounding wistful.

"Mmm," she murmured, a smile lighting up her face. "That sounds brilliant," she said, feeling a warmth fill her stomach. Letting her arms float out from her, she stared up at the roof for awhile. "Did you ever think... I mean before, when we were younger... did you ever think it would be like this?" she asked, turning her eyes to the side, searching for where he was. He didn't answer right away and her eyes took another sweep of the area, finding him nowhere.

Suddenly, she felt something smooth by her face and found him right beside her. He had floated backwards and she hadn't thought to think of what was angled 'above' her. He grinned, as if he knew that she had been searching and he purposely hadn't let her know what he was doing. One of his hands rested on his pec, over his heart, dripping fingers thrumming a beat randomly. His eyes roamed around her face, an emotion she'd only recently come to identify in his eyes. She noticed that he was careful never to let his eyes go beneath her neck and she found her heart beating a little faster for his knowledge of her insecurities before they were married. She hadn't said it, but she really wanted to wait for that night and he hadn't come close to pushing the subject. There was that time a few days before, when they just woken up and a morning kiss became a little more, but she was sure that he wouldn't have let it go too far.

She found herself staring at him adoringly, memorizing the face she knew all too well. She recognized the small light pink scar near his eyebrow where he had an incident with the back of a car after falling from the skateboard she had convinced him to give a try. The aristocratic arch of his eyebrows that couldn't be removed no matter how comfortable he was outside of the social class his family spearheaded. The curve of his lips that were so often in a smirk, or while with her, a grin. And then his eyes, ever the beautiful, glimmering silver that entranced her with a single glance. She often wondered if they always glowed, or if it was just something she saw.

"Yeah," he replied, turning his face back up and letting his sopping hair sink back in to the cool water. "I think I always knew that somehow we'd end up like this. Those summers," he said with a sigh, his eyes closing, "you and your family, it was all like an escape, one that I never wanted to end. Her hand dipped beneath the water, running through his hair beneath in reserved motions. "Even if we weren't going to be getting married, I always knew we'd end up living our lives together."

"How?" she asked, her voice sounding quiet while his sounded gravelly and thick.

"Well, I had some plans," he told her, his mouth turning up in a smirk.

"Really?" she asked, amused, her brow lifting.

"Mm," he said, nodding. "After school ended, I was going to steal you away from everything," he told her, opening one eye a crack and looking over at her.

"Steal me away?" she queried, a smile pulling at her mouth.

"Yeah," he said, his arm moving beneath her until it was brushing the soft skin of her back, stroking her spine. "Right after graduation, I was going to sweep you away to Greece or Paris, and we'd just... live. We'd explore everything, learn the world inside out, and just live it all by ourselves. No parents, though I love yours, no restrictive friendships or alliances. I mean, it would've had to be put off if the war was in full swing, but I have a feeling it'll be over before graduation." Smiling lightly, he nodded, "It would've been brilliant. Just you and me, the world, and a bottle of wine."

"Wine," she said with an amused laugh.

"Of course, with which to seduce you with," he told her, grinning.

"Just one bottle?" she asked, quirking her brow.

"Well, after the wine was gone, if you were still too questioning of my intentions, I would just have to win you over with my wit and charm," he explained, laughing quietly.

"Oh I see," she said, her hand moving from his hair to lightly stroke his neck. Chuckling softly, she rolled her eyes, her other arm moving slowly through the water, creating small waves. "I would've loved that," she told him, a warm smile breaking open on her face. "It really would've been fantastic. To just forget it all and escape everything. It's too bad it was ruined," she said, sadly.

"No," he responded shaking his head, turning to look at her seriously. "When it's all over, I'm taking you to Greece or Rome or France, anywhere you want. And we'll ignore every owl that brings post and we'll forget all about disproving fathers and Dark Lord's. We'll escape all of this and live in high priced Hotels where they brings us our food on silver platters and expect a too-big tip." She grinned, chortling quietly at his enthusiasm. "And we'll make love in every beautiful country this world has to offer, sans the bottle of wine because I'm almost certain I can seduce you with my patented smirk," he said, his mouth turning up on one side as if proving his point.

Rolling her eyes, she sighed, "If you must kidnap me, then you must," she said, grinning, "and I'll agree to the lack of wine," she replied, turning her eyes over to him.

Nodding, he pulled her hand up from around his neck, tangling his fingers with hers and pressing her knuckles to his lips, kissing them before he held their hands over his chest, their arms wrapping around each other. "We're going to make it," he told her, firmly. "Through all of this. We're going to walk away from

it all with our heads high. Together." He turned to her quickly, the water moving around him from the ruckus. "Whatever they say or think will happen to us, it doesn't matter. Because I know that we're going to be fine. As long as we have each other, we'll be fine."

"I know," she said, softly, her thumb running over the side of his hand.

He smiled, nodding with happiness that she believed it too. He turned his head and moved closer, shifting so their faces were better aligned. Hermione tipped her head slightly, meeting his upside down mouth and slipping her hand into his hair. His tongue tangled with hers, while his teeth grazed her bottom lip. She felt him sigh into her mouth, and completely forgot that they were floating in an empty pool. Which was why they sunk a little and water spilled into her mouth, causing them both to sputter and laugh with the turn of their kiss, from steamy to wet and cold.

Moving so they were floating up right, their legs keeping them from sinking, Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in close, pressing her forehead against his. "Where's your smirk?" she whispered, nuzzling his nose. "I though you were going to seduce me."

Smiling, he ran a hand down her spine, stopping at the small of her back. "Why Miss Granger, I would never do anything so scandalous," he breathed, his silver eyes running over her dripping face to meet with hers.

"Never?" she asked, running her nails over his neck, smiling at his intake of breath. "What about skinny-dipping with your girlfriend when you're both supposed to be fast asleep in your beds?" she asked, watching a drop of water fall from his lashes and trail down his cheek.

He shook his head just slightly, never looking away from her eyes. "Never," he said, quietly. "I'm very wholesome."

She laughed, shaking her head. "So what are you doing now?" she asked, her brow lifting.

"Now?" he asked, his fingers splaying out over her smooth, bare skin.

"Yes, now," she replied, shivering at his light touch.

"I'm kissing my naked fiancé," he told her, leaning in to press his soft mouth against hers, catching her top lip with both of his, his tongue tracing her mouth. His nose bumped into hers, while his fingertips drew up the center of her back. Her arms tightened around him until she was pressed against him, her leg moving of its own accord up his side until it rested on his hip. He pulled away from her mouth, pressing his lips against her cheek and trailing up to her ear and then moving down slowly. She tipped her head to one side, giving him more access to the length of her neck, his teeth lightly grazing the buzzing skin, while his tongue slipped out to to lap at the damp, hot skin.

"She's lucky," Hermione managed, her eyes closing. "Your naked fiancé ," she clarified.

He laughed, sending a rumbling shiver through her neck, she bit her lip with the tremor, as her toes curled beneath the water. "I'm lucky," he told her, his fingers slipping into her hair, massaging her skin in a way that had her mouth falling open with pleasure. His mouth was nibbling lightly at the apex of her neck and shoulder, which had her letting out a small moan.

Suddenly someone was clearing their throat and Hermione felt Draco stiffen against her, his hands stopping and his mouth freezing against her skin. Slowly, she opened her eyes and nearly sighed when she realized it was Tonks and Remus, thankful that it wasn't the owner of the resort they were staying in. She let out a self conscious laugh, shrugging her shoulders a little. "Sorry?" she said, her brow lifting with hope.

Rolling his eyes, Remus crossed his arms and shook his head. "I could start yelling about safety right now, and I'm talking about from Death Eaters, not from..." he waved his hand at their entwined bodies, his cheeks reddening just lightly as Tonks stifled a laugh behind him. Mumbling under his breath, he turned around. "The point is, I'm not yelling... yet. But you two had better get out of there and dressed right now. It's not safe for you to be doing this. I realize that you're engaged and you wanted time alone, but... really, couldn't you have waited a few more days?" he asked, his voice rising in tone just a little.

Draco glanced back at Remus' turned back and Tonks amused face, shaking his head at her in hopes that she would get the point. Making a squeaking noise as if she just realized, she nodded and turned around quickly. He looked back at Hermione, shrugging with a stiff smile. "Seems my naked fiancé and I didn't get away with it," he whispered, looking rather upset.

Patting his shoulder, she pressed her forehead against his. "Don't worry, you have your whole lives for it," she told him, pressing her lips against his in a chaste kiss before she unwrapped herself and backstroked over to the edge of the pool. She could hear an agreeing laugh from him before he joined her, climbing onto the floor, water soaking the area around him. He walked to his clothes, grabbing his wand and performing a drying charm on both of them before they dressed.

He was quicker than her and she was left doing up her blouse while he stood beside her, his eyes far off in thought. He glanced at her briefly, his hands reaching out, doing up the buttons of her shirt with ease. It reminded her of all the other times he did it, pulling her hair from her jacket and doing it up as if second nature. It warmed her, as it always did and she couldn't stifle the grin that broke out on her face. He scooped up the sweater from the floor and tossed it over his shoulder, taking her hand and leading her toward their guardians.

Remus and Tonks were speaking in undertones, but glanced up and quickly cut off all conversation when she and Draco had made it to them. Lupin simply motioned for them all to leave, so they silently made the trek back to the suites they had rented. Every time Hermione glanced at Draco, she saw an amused smirk on his face. He'd look at her from the corner of his eyes, winking on occasion. Their pace was leisurely and Hermione had a feeling that it was just Draco trying to prove he hadn't been worried at all about anything happening.

When they finally got back to their suite, Lupin and Tonks followed them inside. Hermione bit the inside of her cheek as she noticed Tonks try and mimic Remus' weaved arms and cross expression, but she came off looking like she was holding in a laugh and mocking him. Draco plopped down on the bed, leaning back slightly and tugging Hermione into his lap, his arm resting around her waist comfortably. It reminded her of the time during last summer when the pizza place had been exceptionally busy but Draco didn't want to take it home. So instead, he pulled out the only vacant stool seat and placed her in his lap while they enjoyed their pizza and had a great conversation about toppings and the lame Muggle music that was playing on the juke box. She felt his fingers idly running over her hip, which brought her back to the moment and Remus' annoyed frown.

"Tell me, Draco, Hermione, why are we staying here?" he asked, a brow lifting with question as his frown smoothed away to show a deceivingly calm expression.

Draco nodded slowly, "Something involving murderous Death Eaters and head hunting witches and wizards," he replied, his tone obviously showing that he thought it was just stupid to ask.

"Something like that," Remus returned, his eyes turning heavenward. "I realize that you're both just a couple of _children_, but please try and understand the severity--"

"We understand perfectly the severity," Draco interrupted, his eyes darkening with the insinuation. "We know who wants us dead, who doesn't trust us any longer, and how very few allies we have. We know that it's unlikely that my father will let either of us live through the war and we know that you, and most of the people of the Wizarding world will, think that us getting married is moronic, if not a complete sham. We know that our lives are almost certainly severely less long than yours are," he said, his brow lifting, a look of acceptance there.

"And we knew all of this when I convinced her to come swimming with me. We'll know all of this when we say our vows three days from now, and we'll know it when we stand face to face with Death Eaters to fight this war," he told him fiercely, his tone was level but his eyes were telling an array of stories, none of them good.

"Don't think we don't know what's going on, _sir_. Because we've always known and we always will. We don't walk into anything blind; we knew there would be problems when we became friends. When you're faced with the likelihood of death before your next birthday, you can come and tell me that I shouldn't enjoy what could be the last of the good things I have left." He paused, his mouth turning up in a wry smile. "But what would I know? I'm just a child."

Remus stared at him a moment, a look of defeat filling his features. "I'm sorry," he said, sighing. "I know you know. I was simply worried about the both of you and when I came to bring news, you had both been missing. I may have had a mild heart attack but I can't be sure," he said, his eyes turning up. "Tonks, love, feel my arm... is it numb?" he asked, his brow lifting.

Hermione stifled an amused laugh when Tonks actually reached out, but she seemed to get the idea because a moment later, she slapped Remus' shoulder an huffed, rolling her eyes.

Rubbing his arm exaggeratedly, Remus turned back to Draco, apologetically. "I really am sorry, son. I never meant to imply that you were children. It was a slip. I tend to underestimate those in your age group," he mumbled, most likely referring to Harry, Hermione decided. "It would just be a whole lot easier if you kept the late night naked rendezvous's to a minimum," he suggested, a smirk tugging at his mouth.

Draco snorted, glancing at Hermione sidelong, shrugging just slightly. "I swear, she was the one who suggested the nudity. I was the innocent one. She practically tackled me trying to get my clothes off," he told them, a mischievous grin on his face.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Said the man trying to seduce me with a smirk," she mumbled.

"I'm thoroughly affronted," he replied, pulling an faux-innocent face. He laughed lightly, turning back to Tonks and Remus. "So, what news were you bringing by when she tried to seduce me?" he asked easily.

"We spoke to Dumbledore," Tonks told him, nodding. "And he spoke to Molly who spoke to Arthur who spoke to both Harry and Ron," she said, smiling.

"And?" Hermione asked, shaking her head slowly with question.

"They'll be coming early, to help get the wedding together and set up your new house," Remus told them, grinning. "Along with Miss Lovegood and Mr Zabini," he added, looking at Draco with a nod. "Mr Zabini's mother received a letter from Dumbledore stating that he needed his help for the next four days as he is the stand in Head boy, if it wouldn't be too much trouble. Since she has her hands full with his other siblings she allowed him to go. He has to go home for Christmas morning, but he can return later that afternoon," Lupin told them. "And Miss Lovegood said she had no trouble convincing her father to let her leave for awhile. She too will be returning home for the morning of Christmas, as I'm sure Ron and Harry will be too."

"So they'll be here when?" Draco asked, his tone obviously happy.

"Well, since you have the meeting with the Realtor bright and early and it's already looking very good on your half, I'm going to pick them all up from the Burrow," Tonks told them, nodding. "Mr Zabini and Miss Lovegood agreed to be there by noon tomorrow and I'll be escorting them back to the property." She glanced at Remus with a hidden look and he nodded.

Clearing his throat, Remus stepped forward a bit. "You both understand that if you are to get this house it would be very important for you to keep it as quiet as possible," he told them sternly. "Meaning you have to be very careful who it is you allow to know where you live. I think it's very important that you both talk it over in depth--"

"Blaise is safe," Hermione interrupted firmly. "I'm sure that's who you're suggesting we be uncertain of. But I guarantee you, Blaise would die for either of us. He wouldn't tell anybody where we live. The only possible avenue for anybody to find out the information would be _Veritaserum_, and in that respect, everyone, including Ron and Harry, would **have** to tell." She stared at them both, her eyes giving away no question of his loyalty. "I'd bet my life on it, of which I am really, and Draco's." She turned, staring him in the eye and getting an agreeing nod. "He's safe. Everybody invited to our wedding and our home is an ally. One that we have no reason not to trust."

"I see," Remus said, nodding. "I'll trust your judgment," he agreed, stepping back beside Tonks and clasping his hands behind his back. "Oh," he said, clearing his throat, "I was also told to send congratulations from Minerva and Albus," he told them, grinning.

"Are they doing anything for Christmas?" Hermione wondered, just now realizing that her hands had been unconsciously rubbing Draco's neck and shoulders. "They've both been such great influences and mentors, I'd just... I'd feel honored if they could be there," she said, turning to look at Draco to see if he like or disliked the idea.

"Yeah," he added, nodding. "It'd be nice if they could come... Just don't bring Trelawney," he said, grimacing. "I really don't need to hear any future predictions from her. She'll probably read our champagne flutes to decide how our marriage will go. Of course she'll say it ends in doom with some sort of Grim appearing before her," he said, rolling his eyes.

Snorting, Hermione nodded her agreeance with the last statement. "Oh, oh, what about Hagrid?" she asked, hopping slightly on his knee in excitement. She glanced at his wrinkled nose and made a pleading face. "Com'on, he'd love to come," she said, hopefully.

"Okay, okay, but you're transfiguring a chair for him. I don't think he'll fit in any of our regular furniture. Which reminds me... we have to buy furniture," he muttered, turning away for a moment. Shaking his head, he got back on subject. "And no more Hogwarts staff," he told her, rolling his eyes. "The less who know, the better, remember?"

"Fine," she said, sighing. "I won't invite Madame Pomfrey then," she announced, acting as if she were thoroughly saddened by the prospect.

"Oh what a shame," he drawled, his brow cocked.

"Right," Remus said, shaking his head at them. "Anybody else or is that it?" he asked, his tone hopeful.

"Aside from my parents, I believe that's it," she said, nodding slowly, a finger pressed against her chin in thought.

"What about Weasley's little sister?" Draco asked, looking up at her.

Hermione shook her head slowly, frowning. "No, I don't think so... We haven't been... It's just not a good idea," she decided, sighing. "What about you, is there anybody you'd like to be there?" she asked, staring at him searchingly.

"Uh..." He frowned, his eyes turning off as he shook his head, shrugging. "Hey Tonks, would you be able to talk to your mother?" he asked, glancing at her briefly. "If she can, I'd like her to come," he said, his voice rather quiet.

"Of course," Tonks agreed, a grin blooming on her face. "I'm sure she'll be very excited by the idea."

"Great," Draco said, his hand squeezing her side lightly. "It's too bad we can't invite Claire," he mumbled, turning to rest his chin on her shoulder.

"Mm," she agreed, dejectedly. "You know our original plan was to only have Blaise and Luna," she reminded, chuckling lightly.

"True," he said, smiling. "We'll send her pictures," he decided, looking up at her through his dark lashes.

Nodding, Hermione looked back at Remus and Tonks. "Okay, so that's our guest list," she told them, smiling. Her eyes roamed to the clock and widened. "Oh, it's getting late. What time is our meeting with Beatrice?" she asked.

"Bernice," Draco corrected, sighing, "And she's meeting us in the morning. Around eight or nine I believe," he said, nodding, his mouth falling open as he yawned.

"Right," Hermione said, her eyes thinning. Glancing over at Remus and Tonks she asked, "Was there any other news?"

Tonks glanced at Remus, her expression shielded but a question in her eyes, he shook his head at her, a smile tugging at his mouth. "No," he told them, looking back over to the couple. "We'll see you in the morning," he said, walking to the door and holding it open for the impish girl beside him. "And no more sneaking out, please," he said, staring at them pointedly before disappearing behind the door, locking it with his wand behind him.

Sighing, Draco leaned back on the bed, pulling Hermione with him, who gave a small yelp of surprise. He grinned, one arm propped beneath his head while the other was still wrapped around her waist, fingers dancing over her skin. Turning to her, he stared into her eyes, a happy spark there that had Hermione smiling at him. Lifting his arm from beneath his head, he ran his hand down the side of her face, pushing away her brown curls and gently brushing her skin. She felt her eyes flutter and her breath shake with the warmth that ran from her toes to her temples, sending a shiver down her spine.

"Tired?" he asked, his voice low.

"A little," she whispered back, her eyes wandering from his eyes to his mouth. "You?"

"I was," he answered, leaning up to run his lips against hers, so slowly she wasn't even sure they were touching. But then his tongue glided a path over her bottom lip, and his teeth nibbled at it a little. She sighed, her eyes falling shut and her fingers threading through his hair.

She had only ever kissed two boys, but she knew for a fact, that none of them compared to Draco. Krum had fumbled a lot, always unsure of where to put his hands and he really just sort of stood there, mouth shut and pressing against hers; no feeling, no heart, no nothing. Then there was that boy who had been drunk and kissed her at the bonfire that summer, but Draco had pulled him off rather quick and whoever he was, he had a black eye telling him never to do it again. She didn't think much of that kiss, but focused more on what happened after. How she and Draco went for a walk down by the lake in the moonlight and she wondered if her feelings for him had perhaps evolved. She had been confused and worried that she was thinking of it too much and forced himself to think of him only as a friend. She rather wished she hadn't now.

Draco had lifted her up at some point and they were slowly moving back to lay properly on the bed. His arms were around her, hands pressing into her back and cradling her neck. She felt protected against his chest in his embrace, he always had that way about him. While everybody had looked at him and saw the guy who would attack them with his wand if they said anything he didn't like, she saw the guy who would protect her with his life. She found one of her hands had slipped up his shirt and was kneeding his back; her fingers dipped when the muscles of his back flexed. While the other was threaded in his hair, holding the soft strands between her curled fingers.

His arm slipped to underneath her bottom and lifted her slightly, she found her legs wrapping around him of their own volition. He gently laid them down, his body held up off of hers enough so it wouldn't crush her while his lips broke away from hers, moving down her neck. Her chest was moving erratically as she breathed heavily from getting hardly any air. She felt the fabric of her shirt opening and looked down to see his hand slowly popping open the buttons. Finally, it was apart and his fingers ran over her stomach, tickling it with their gentle touch. He cradled her hip, his thumb drawing circles on her skin.

His mouth moved down her neck and across her clavicles, bypassing her chest to press into the center of her ribs and trailing down to her navel. He placed soft kisses over her abdomen while she watched with a small smile, her hands running through his hair. He stopped, staring down and panting against her bellybutton before he rested his chin on her and stared up at her. His other hand ran over her stomach, making odd designs she couldn't decipher with his fingertips.

"D'you think I'll be a good father one day?" he wondered, looking down and focusing on what he was drawing with a look of fear.

Hermione's heart skipped a beat, she hadn't for one moment thought he wouldn't be a great father. Then again, she hadn't really been thinking of him being a father. Children were a ways of yet, but she could see why the question was being brought up. Lucius had only ever been domineering and heavy handed with Draco, so she could understand his fear of becoming like him. But she had seen him with kids, back when they were babysitting off and on for extra cash during one of their summer's and he had been their favorite. He knew when to be strict about behavior and when to let them play around like the kids they were.

Reaching out, she ran her knuckles down his cheek, noticing that his eyes were closed tightly. "You'll be a great dad, Draco," she told him, seriously. "I know you will. _You_ know you will," she said, firmly.

He nodded slowly, his eyes opening but still staring down and she could see they were rimmed red. He kissed her stomach, "I'll never hit them," he vowed before moving up a few inches. "I'll never tell them what they have to be or how they have to talk or act. I'll let them be themselves," he told her, pressing his lips to the middle of her ribs. Threading his fingers with hers, he continued his ascent and stopped at her chest. "I"ll never tell them they're worthless, but I will tell them I love them. Every day," he decided, nodding. He ran his lips from one shoulder to the other, slowly, taking the time to lavish her soft skin. Finally, after chastely kissing her chin, he hovered above her mouth, "And I'll never tell them who to be friends with," he whispered, kissing her firmly, passionately, before breaking away, "Or who to love," he added, pressing his lips against hers again, dipping his tongue down to tangle with hers.

She felt tears slipping from her own eyes, which mixed with his as they fell from his face and on to her cheek. He pulled back just slightly, his breath still hitting her mouth. "Don't ever let me be like him," he breathed, his voice broken.

Hermione shook her head, her arms wrapping around his neck and pulling him down into a hug, holding him tightly. "You'll never be like him," she told him, running a hand through his hair as his head sat cradled on her shoulder. "You're so much more than him; better than him in every way," she said, seriously.

He held onto her, one hand wrapped around her shoulder while the other cupped her face, fingers pressed into her hair. They laid there for a long while, with him holding on to her as if she were the only thing keeping him sane and her reassuring him that he was a better person than he gave himself credit for. When she felt his breathing even out, she slipped the blanket over him and crawled carefully out of the bed.

Changing out of her clothes and into pajamas, she walked over to the table holding the wedding papers and smiled. Looking over her shoulder, she stared at his still form in the bed, his face had smoothed of worry lines and was now peaceful. She felt her heart leap at knowledge of her future. She's always had an idea that it was going to be them in the long run. She just hadn't let herself think of them as being married and together in a sense that was more than just friends. When she looked back, it made sense. They were always close, more so than the average best friends, and they shared things with each other that she wouldn't have shared with Ron or Harry. They were meant for this; it had been a long time coming. And she welcomed it with open arms. It didn't scare her, didn't even really surprise her.

Walking back to the bed, she used her wand to put out the lights and crawled in beside Draco, her arms wrapping loosely around his torso. He leaned back until he was laying flat and she laid her head down on his chest, her eyes closing quickly. Tomorrow she had a long day ahead of her. Her friends were coming, she'd hopefully be getting a house, and probably going shopping for furniture and accessories to her new house. She felt like excitedly squealing but she managed to keep herself from acting foolishly.

Looking up, she stared at Draco's sleeping face for a moment, finding he was really quite beautiful. She had always thought him handsome, and now she felt a pleasant tugging in her stomach that reminded her that she was going to be seeing him every day for the rest of her life. He was going to be sleeping right there beside her, she'd be waking up in his arms all the time, and they'd be using the lake down from their house as their very own skinny dipping space. A smile bloomed on her face, she couldn't really imagine a better future. Kissing his shoulder, she took a deep, relaxing breath. She couldn't wait for Christmas.

* * *

**A/N** _I've made it so Hermione had never kissed Ron or McLaggen, simply because it wouldn't work in the story. I'd have to explain Hermione's feelings for Ron dissipating and I think it would be best not to do that. Mostly because I'd also have to have a jealous Ron. I prefer him to be the worried friend, not the jealous ex-boyfriend. Plus, I really can't believe Hermione confunded McLaggen. And I don't think Draco would've allowed her to do it in this story. Anyway, that's all I have to explain in that respect._

_You know what? I actually checked to see if there was snow in London during December of 1997, lol. There was, but not much. I'm very thorough like that, lol._

_I hope you guys have enjoyed this chapter. The next one is wedding preparation and reunions with their friends from Hogwarts. And then I'll finally have the Wedding chapter! Okay, so please leave a review, I'd love to know what you think!_

_Much Love,  
__-**Amanda**_


	31. Reunited, And It Feels So Good

**Review offering insight to the story**:

"_Yes! You updated! I was going to a friend's house to sleepover with some other friends, and when I came back a few hours ago, I checked your profile page (alerts aren't working) and I found that you had updated this! I am so happy! You know what I love? I love how authors can make mushy things like kissing or sexy things like skinny-dipping into something totally right. You put the right touch of description and detail with whatever you write, whether it's something adventurous and terrifying, or something romantic and mushy. I can't put into words how much I adore this story. This story has given me so many laugh-until-you-can't-breathe, bawl-your-eyes-out, sit-on-the-end-of-your-seat, try-desperately-to-control-your-laughter, chew-on-your-nails moments! Everytime I see another chapter of one of your stories come up, I know that you will deliver a beautifully plot-developed, character-developed, in-character, action-packed chapter, and each and every time you deliver. I have not seen a bad chapter from you, and I doubt I ever will. You are one of those rare authors that can write everything and anything and make it completely fantastic. I love how you always think through what's going to happen in your stories. You actually DO the research. I'm glad that when you write about something, you actually know what you're talking about when you do. Anyway, in case I end up blathering on and on about how fantastic your story is and end up repeating myself, I'll just say..."Another absolutely stunning chapter!"_" - _**PiperPaigePhoebe01**_ of FanFiction net.

**Thank you to the following reviewers of** Chapter Twenty-Nine - **_"Children" Know Best_**: _Liyenette, Steelo, Phoenix flame01, Kathleen, cle be, Alexia321, jk rowling the 2nd (Zoey), Danielle, untamedspiral, Weaselbee, nelygirl, Calypso in Love, Aurelia Malfoy, swimchik09, bethygirl94, Felton, purplecrazy2291, DracoAngelofLight, Sam's Firefly, TomxFeltonsxWifeyx3, mnmgt, Hotkat144, Zarroc, **Mskiti (Tabi), anie smiles, niic smiles, C-C-Cody - Plot Biotch**_ and_ especially** PiperPaigePhoebe01, Princess de la Plume, Classic Pairs Shipper **(Emma)_and_** galloping-goose **(Zeus)_

_**Growing**_

_Chapter Thirty_

_Reunited, And It Feels So Good_

Blaise found himself sitting stiffly in a chair in the Weasley's living room. He couldn't remember what they called their teetering house and he already felt too uncomfortable to ask again. Luna had appeared only minutes before and was currently sitting beside him, in a stare down with the two twins, who had previously been glaring suspiciously at Blaise, but were now bent on beating Luna.

He had spent forever waiting for Christmas, thinking it would be the closest day he would get to see his two best friends. He had nearly shouted with excitement when he found out he was able to see them earlier. He had been beyond worried for the both of them over the situation that had presented itself after they had fled from Hogwarts. Well, Hermione had fled from school, Draco had been broken out of a hospital.

Witches and wizards had taken to hating the both of them without reason, and Blaise had begun to worry about what would happen when they returned to school. He had learned of Lucius' attack and murder attempt and knew that Draco was now under the care of two Order members working for Dumbledore. But he wasn't given much more information and while it was mildly comforting, he was still completely scared for them.

Earlier, at home, he had been pacing his room, his arms crossed and his eyes darting to the clock. Dumbledore had told them to be waiting for a women to take them to see Hermione and Draco where the wedding was going to be held, which happened to be their new home. He wasn't surprised when Dumbledore had numerous warnings about just how cautious they had to be about allowing people to attend their place, since it was supposed to be a safe house.

"Did I tell you about the mistletoe?" Luna whispered to him, quiet enough for only her and Blaise to hear.

Startled from the sudden interruption on absolute quiet, he turned to her rather abruptly, but managed to calm himself down quickly. "That it's all infested with nargles?" he asked, lifting his brow. "I read it in the Quibbler awhile back."

"Yes, of course it's all infested, but did I tell you I was growing it?" she asked, a smile tugging at her dream dazed face.

"No," he replied, shaking his head. "But I thought you were against mistletoe? You're always reminding people of the pesky nargle problem," he reminded, shrugging with question. He was beginning to get used to Luna's odd behavior. She was rather refreshing to have around at school, since he was otherwise alone. The Slytherin's had been ignoring him completely and so he spent most of his time in the Head common room, hanging out with Luna and pacing in fear for his friends.

"Well that's just it," she said, her voice taking on an almost excited tone. "I've found out how to lure the buggers from the mistletoe I've been growing," she explained, her eyes not even twitching in their showdown with the infamous Weasley twins.

"How?" Blaise wondered, running his hands through his hair and glancing at the kitchen where he heard Mrs. Weasley making a ruckus and muttering to herself.

"Cheese," she replied, nodding. "Nasty little things have become addicted to it. I thought it odd too. I tried everything, but it wasn't until I dropped my cheese and peanut butter sandwich nearby and they just became fanatic about it. All of them. So I lured them away with it and I now have nargle-free mistletoe," she told him, happily. "D'you think Draco and Hermione will be excited? I want to hang it all over their house," she told him, clasping her hands together and sighing hopefully.

Blaise chuckled, grinning with amusement. "I'm sure they'll love it." He could just imagine the look on Draco's face already. Polite and trying to look excited by the prospect. Of course, with all that mistletoe hanging around, Draco would have more reason to kiss Hermione. For a very brief moment, Blaise wondered if he could kiss her beneath the nargle-free mistletoe. But he pushed that thought away as quickly as it had come. It would do no good to focus on that which he would never enjoy.

"Good," she said, sighing. "Oh, and do you suppose maybe Harry would like some?" she wondered, biting her lip for a moment. "I'm sure he could hang some around here. I noticed they don't have any. I believe I'm the first to find out how to get rid of nargles. Would you believe most people don't believe they exist?" she asked, sounding nearly flabbergasted.

"Really? They're loss," Blaise replied, shrugging. He decided not to comment on whether Potter would like some mistletoe and just leave it up to the Boy-Who-Managed-to-Catch-a-Moderately-Crazy-Ravenclaw's-Attention to deal with her odd gifts on his own.

"You remembered Draco's outfit, right?" she asked, suddenly.

Hearing an annoyed grunt, Blaise looked over to see that one of the twins was out of the game and rubbing his eyes furiously, a frown on his face. It didn't look as if his equal was doing much better. His eyes were twitching and his mouth was scrunched up. Luna looked completely fine though and Blaise attributed it to how she often stared off in a daydream, not acknowledging that her eyes have been wide open for long periods of time.

"Yeah, of course," he replied, returning his attention to her. "It was in his wardrobe, hanging up and looking ready. You'd think the wedding was hours away with how it looked. Pressed and with all of the accessories hanging from it perfectly."

"I imagine he's very excited," Luna replied, shrugging softly. "After all, you only marry the love of your life once."

"You saw it too, hmm?" Blaise asked, finding that he wasn't frowning with annoyance but simply acceptance. "It was bound to happen, I guess."

There was a note of sadness in his voice that he did his best to hide. While he had always allowed himself to hope that one day the intelligent and courageous lioness would see him as someone she could possibly love, he had to admit defeat when it faced him firmly. Draco was a good guy and it was obvious that what he felt for Hermione was meant for a lifetime. Blaise's feelings couldn't compare to his, and so he forced himself to accept that all he would ever have with Princess was a strong and lasting friendship.

"Love isn't something that can easily be challenged. And if it's true, it's unwavering," the quirky Ravenclaw replied easily, without even looking as if the words had to be thought first. Suddenly she broke out in a triumphant grin and Blaise turned to see that both twins were glowing and muttering. "I win," she exclaimed, brushing a strand of blonde hair out of her eyes. "But you nearly had me that time," she told them.

In Blaise's opinion, Luna could have kept her eyes open for hours without problem, but the twins seemed to accept her answer.

"One of these days Lovegood!" one of the twins exclaimed, jutting a confident finger up in the air.

"It's time to double our practicing! It won't be long now and we'll finally have won," the other agreed, nodding his head with assurance.

"Bet she used a spell!" the first muttered, thinning his eyes at her with suspicion though he was half-smiling.

"We should create something that keeps the eyes moist during times like these," the second suggested, looking thoroughly excited as the new product came to him.

"Wouldn't that be cheating, George?" he asked, his brow cocked as he tipped his head in query.

"I believe it'd be our only chance up against her. So it's really more of equalizing the scales, Fred," George told him, crossing his arms and grinning.

"Mm," he said, nodding with a tap to his chin in agreeance. They left the room shortly after, talking amongst themselves in muffled whispers, which had Blaise a little worried.

Turning to Luna, he focused his attention on her, instead of the possible attack of the infamous Weasley twins. "Did you find Hermione's dress?" Blaise asked, returning his attention to the happy Luna.

She nodded, turning to him with her dazed blue eyes. "Yes, I'm very glad she went with white. Obviously there won't be Chapel Moths, but have you ever heard of Belmonty Arch Mice?" she asked. "They might be a problem. Won't know until we get there," she said, her eyes roaming the room in a dismissive look.

"What?" he asked, his brows furrowing as he leaned forward inquisitively.

Looking back at him, she simply stared for a moment, as if she forget what she said, until her eyes cleared and she replied, "Yes, they're small, red and purple polka-dotted mice with extremely long fur which often get them confused with Plynder Porch Rats, but those are entirely different." She rolled her eyes as if the idea were ridiculous. "Because, y'see, Belmonty Arch Mice only live in the arches of houses. They are very much attracted to the colour white, and will only eat articles of that colour. Meaning clothes, furniture, dishes," she listed shaking her head.

"Nobody knows why it's white, it just is. They tend to live in older houses as they prefer rather drafty and cool atmospheres," she told him, nodding as her eyes widened with the information. "They're so small you can hardly see them though. There have been many instances though where a bride has found them creating havoc with her wedding dress," she said, sighing.

"Well," Blaise said, leaning back and tapping his chin. "Let's hope their house has no arches then," he told her, nodding.

Smiling, Luna nodded. "What d'you suppose is taking Ron and Harry so long?" she asked, glancing at the stairs.

"I've no idea," he said, exhaling heavily. "How much longer before we can leave? I feel like I haven't seen them in ages."

"It has been awhile," she agreed. "For Draco more so!"

Before Blaise could reply, Harry and Ron came tumbling into the living room, looking tired but mildly alert. "Oi!" the ginger haired boy exclaimed, waving his hand. "When'd you two get here then?" he asked, rather sleepily.

"Not long ago," Blaise replied, leaning back in his chair and glancing at the mischievous Weasley twins who had been glaring at him for most of his wait. "How much longer 'till we go?" he wondered.

Harry fiddled with his askew glasses and then searched out a clock. "Not much longer."

"I'm starved," Ron exclaimed, turning to walk into the kitchen looking for food.

"Have you two eaten?" Harry asked them, crossing his arms and leaning tiredly against a wall. "Mrs. Weasley is a fantastic cook and she loves to feed people."

"I'm fine," Blaise replied, fidgeting in his seat with anticipation.

"Me too, my stomach feels like it's full of Kettelmoths," she told them, sighing.

Harry stared at her confused for a moment.

"They're like butterflies," Blaise explained, shrugging.

Shrugging with vague understanding, Harry made a movement as if he were going to go into the kitchen and then disappeared through the doorway. Luna turned back to Blaise, frowning. "So, y'think Harry or Ron know they're really in love?"

"Potter and Weasley like each other?" Blaise asked in a shocked whisper, his eyes widening and his jaw hanging slack.

Luna burst into a fit of amused chortles, shaking her head as she grinned happily. "No, no, no," she said, gasping for air. After she had calmed down, she turned to him with a lazy grin. "I meant, d'you think they know Hermione and Draco are _really_ in love, as opposed to marrying to get out of family commitments."

"I think Harry suspects it, but I don't think Ron even knew they were marrying because of Lucius, so he probably just assumes they've been together for years," Blaise replied, shrugging.

"Hmm," she said, nodding.

Suddenly the fireplace roared to life and out tumbled a tripping girl with bright pink hair. "Wotcher Luna, Mr. Zabini!" she called to them, waving cheerily.

"Uh, hi," Blaise replied, having no idea who she was but knowing she was probably who had come to take them away.

"Hullo Tonks," Luna replied, standing up, smiling. "I assume you're here to take us all to the bride and groom."

Nodding happily, she tipped her head with agreeance. "Yup, their deal with the Realtor this morning went through just fine and they've been shopping for furniture ever since. It's all being done in a small, out of the way, Muggle town nearby, so they won't be found out. Remus even rented a truck so they could lug everything back to the Manor." She grinned at them excitedly. "Oh you should see it. It's just beautiful out there!" she squealed.

"Er, right," Blaise said, nodding. "Will they be there when we arrive?" he asked, hopefully.

"Well, the last time I saw them they were looking at beds for the guest rooms, so I have no idea," she replied, shrugging. "I know they wanted to be there when you arrived and Hermione said they might continue their shopping after meeting with you all for the day."

"Great," he replied, standing up. "Harry and Ron are stuffing their faces," he said, motioning to the door leading to the kitchen.

"Ah," she said, understandingly, as she crossed the room and into the kitchen.

"Where's your stuff?" Blaise asked, looking around for Luna's suitcase.

She shrugged, tipping her head up at him, her eyes glazed over. "Mrs Weasley took it, I don't know what she did with it, she was talking really quickly."

Snorting, Blaise shook his head, feeling antsy and bored. "You don't think we'll have to wait much longer, d'you?"

"Would you like to ask them to hurry up?" she asked, standing from the chair. Without waiting for a reply, she crossed the living room and into the kitchen, so he followed her. "Eat faster boys, you still have to dress and get your things together," Luna called to them.

Blaise was rather amused to see that they sped up, though managing to keep from choking. Mrs. Weasley offered him and Luna something to eat which they politely denied and was only allowed not to eat because Tonks had managed to get the older women into a conversation, distracting her.

Not long after, two Gryffindor's, a Slytherin, and a Ravenclaw stood beside a cheery metamorphmagus, who held a bag of Floo powder. "Speak clearly and keep all limbs close to your body. Move out of the way as quick as you can and don't go looking around until I get there. Understand?" she asked, staring at each of them.

Giving Luna a handful of powder, she pushed her toward the fire, and nodded at her to go. Potter went next, then Weasley, and finally Blaise, just before Tonks. When he arrived, he nearly knocked into Ron, who had just barely got out of the way.

They stood in a very high ceilinged den-like area. It was absolutely huge and downright awe inspiring. The doorways were arched and the windows were large and open, showing a beautiful front yard, green and lush with trees and bushes. The walls were a dark cherry colour and the hardwood floor was covered in expensive rugs. Chairs, couches, tables, end tables, huge bookshelves, cabinets, and candle holders decorated the space. They furniture smelled of rich mahogany, old but steady and breathtaking in appearance. He could tell from the way Ron fell on the couch and Harry melted into one of the chairs that it was comfortable.

The fireplace was gigantic and framed by brown Leuder limestone, with a wood mantel across the top. Tonks came through a moment later and gave out a happy sigh at seeing each of them there, having not wandered. "Right, follow me then," she called, walking across the expansive room and through the tall doorway to a hall.

Filing out of the beautiful room, Blaise stuck by Luna while Ron and Harry spoke quietly behind them. He wondered if that was where they planned on having the wedding, as it was certainly big and perfect for the setting. He realized that Tonks had led them to the front area as they were in the center of a wide foyer, on one side were long, wide, winding stairs, and on the other were two large doors, which he assumed opened to the front.

"This place is really quite big and I'm not sure if the guest rooms are ready yet, so why don't we--" she cut herself off, turning her eyes to the door. "Oh, that's the truck," she said, crossing to the door and opening them both to walk outside.

Blaise immediately followed, feeling excited and nearly bursting with how much he had missed them. It was odd how quickly he had become attached to the both of them, but when they had been gone, all he could do was wish they were there. He heard their voices and his footsteps picked up until he was practically running. He realized he had hurried past Tonks, who seemed to be chuckling at his anxiousness.

They came around the side of the truck, talking quietly to each other, smiling warmly. Their faces lifted almost simultaneously, seeing him at virtually the same time. He felt his face break out in a grin and then Hermione was running to him. Draco was grinning, but he wasn't exactly the run and jump into your best mate's arms type of guy.

Hermione leapt into the air though, her arms wrapping around him. "I missed you," she told him, hugging him tightly. "I'm so sorry about that fight we had when I left," she apologized, holding him tighter until he almost couldn't breathe.

"It's okay," he replied, rubbing her back. "School hasn't been the same without you two. Oh, and I think I may have failed my Arithmancy test," he admitted.

"Oh no, I'm sorry, I completely forgot that I was tutoring you!" He decided she likely would've smacked herself in the head at her memory slip had she been on the ground and her arms weren't around him. "We'll study while you're here and when I get back, I'll definitely help you," she assured.

"Sure. Just never leave me alone at school again," he told her, shaking his head. "I've grown rather fond of you, Princess."

She chuckled, squeezing him tightly.

After awhile, he put her down on the ground, letting the other three hug her and say hello. He turned to speak to Draco but found him hugging a crying Luna, who was mumbling incoherently, not exactly astonishing there.

"And there's arches, so you-- you have to look out for the mice," she was saying. "And I tried to convince Dumbledore to let me write you, but he wouldn't. Don't worry though, I brought mistletoe!"

Draco laughed, rubbing her back and waiting until she calmed down before he let her go. "It's all right Luna, we're fine."

She nodded, sniffling as she pulled away from him. "Blaise kept telling me that, but there was so much happening," she told him, shaking her head.

Draco turned to Blaise, half-smiling. "It's been awhile," he said, nodding at him.

"Too long," Blaise replied, sighing. "Disappear like that again and I'll hunt you down and kill you myself," he warned.

Laughing softly, Draco nodded. "It's good to see you guys. Hermione was beginning to drive me nuts," he joked, rolling his eyes.

"Was that before or after you seduced her into skinny dipping in the pool?" a man Blaise recognized as a former professor; Lupin, he thought. Then he focused more on what was said.

"I told you, she seduced me," Draco replied, smirking.

Blaise turned somewhat to see Hermione who was blushingly furiously while she hugged Harry and stared with wide eyes at Lupin and Draco. He couldn't help it, he started laughing at the situation. Luna joined in, chuckling amusedly at the small insight to what the two teenagers had been doing while trying to escape murderous Death Eaters.

"Well, I can't wait to hear more about this last week you've been gone," Blaise said, nodding with a grin.

Snickering, Hermione rolled her eyes at them.

"Not until we get all this inside," Lupin told them, pulling out his wand to hover some of the furniture out, which was all shrunken to palm size, much to everyone's amusement.

For awhile after, Hermione and Draco told everybody where to put the new beds, dressers, tables, chairs, etcetera, where they had to be. After everything was in its rightful place and back to its original size, they convened in the living room, which wasn't as big as the den, but much more homey. There were more windows which opened up to show the huge lake down from the expansive backyard.

Something Blaise noticed right away was how close Hermione and Draco seemed to be at all times. Whether they were walking, sitting, talking or simply standing, they were nearly always touching. He noted that their relationship had definitely changed, though that didn't stop the look of shock that crossed his face when he saw them kiss for the first time.

They had been talking quietly about their wedding night in hushed tones and Hermione had made a shrieking noise, which Draco laughed at before leaning in and pressing a tender kiss against her lips. She had reacted as if it happened every day, her eyes falling closed and her arms wrapping around his neck as his rested on her back.

Blaise's jaw dropped at the sight, even though he had witnessed their getting closer and knew that they had likely moved on to become a real couple. He heard a surprised gasp from Harry, though he smothered it rather quickly. Luna had looked pleasantly happy by the interaction of her two friends and Ron just looked surprised that everybody thought it was so shocking.

For their part, neither Draco or Hermione seemed to notice the sounds or expressions of their friends and simply continued on in their small banter with each other. Luna finally broke into their conversation to ask if she could see the outline for the wedding plans and Hermione looked excited by the prospect. She hurried up from her seat and told them she'd be right back, before leaving the room to get the papers.

Blaise couldn't help but notice the look on Draco's face, as if he wanted to follow her just to be sure she was safe. But he hid it quickly and turned his attention to his guests. "So, how's your break been so far?" he asked them.

"Boring," Weasley grumbled, leaning back in the large armchair he was occupying. "Mum won't let any of us go out because she thinks people will try and find out where you are from us. So we've been stuck at home constantly," he whined. "And she's on a cleaning frenzy because everybody will be coming back soon."

Harry leaned forward, sighing. "There's been post coming in constantly, everybody is hounding us for a destination. Scrimgeour even stopped in to ask us personally," he told him, shaking his head.

"I've received a few howlers," Blaise admitted, running his hand through his hair. "And my mum keeps asking me if I know. She likes to remind me that my loyalties are supposed to be with her."

"Oh yeah?" Draco asked, snorting. "What do you say?"

"I remind her that I know where she keeps the special potions she's used on her last three mysteriously dead husbands," he replied, shrugging easily. "Old bint always thinks she can one-up me," he muttered, scowling.

"It's too bad you have to go back there for Christmas," Draco mentioned, frowning.

"My sister is coming in though," Blaise told him, nodding. "Haven't seen her in awhile, so it shouldn't be too bad. She'll take the attention off of me; she loves fighting with mum."

Nodding, Draco tried to smile, but he looked troubled by the news of how everything was going. "And you, Luna? How's your break going?"

She shrugged, twirling a strand of hair around her finger and staring off in a daze. "Fine I guess. I was working with my mistletoe trees most of the time." She brightened, sitting up straight. "I have something for you and Hermione too!"

Draco glanced at Blaise, as if knowing it was going to be something he wasn't going to be overly-enthusiastic about. "Really? Brilliant, I can't wait."

She moved to get up but then Hermione returned so they got to work on planning out the wedding. The next few hours were spent in the den they had entered through, where everybody forgot about the upsetting way their Christmas break had started and the turmoil that they were facing outside the wedding. They focused on the event coming and Blaise noticed that even Potter and Weasley looked happy by the way things were coming.

Draco asked for their help in getting things ready, asking if they knew charms to put certain accessories for the ceremony up, to which both boys boasted about their work at Ron's brother's wedding that summer. Luna and Hermione seemed to be focusing on the more frilly aspect, having to do with flowers, colours, and the hangings. Draco had told Blaise specifically about certain plans he had for the wedding that Hermione wasn't supposed to know about, as he wanted it a surprise for her.

Before they knew it, they had everything planned out to a tee. They wouldn't have to put it together for a couple more days, but that just meant they had some time to hang out together and enjoy each other's company. It felt like it had been much longer than a few weeks.

Later that night, they all stood in the kitchen, agreeing to make dinner together, instead of putting it on one person. Draco was a good cook, apparently learning a few years before, and Hermione was at the same level as him. Potter said he'd been preparing meals for his relatives since he was young, but Ron admitted he never tried. Luna only knew dishes that nobody was especially excited about trying, and Blaise had to admit he was only a mediocre cook.

"Well, first we should agree on what we want to eat," Hermione told them, her hands on her hips. "That way we can decide who's going to make what."

Tonks and Lupin were sitting at the table, watching amused as the six teenagers stood uncomfortably in the large, furnished kitchen. All of the appliances were stainless steel and shiny with their newness. Food had been the first thing Draco wanted to buy, according to Hermione, so the cupboards and fridge were stocked and ready.

"Fish and chips," suggested Luna, getting the possibilities for dinner started.

"No, bangers and mash," Ron called out, nodding while he licked his lips.

"Roast beef, mash and gravy," said Harry.

"I really want Shepherd's pie," Draco told her, sighing.

"Ploughman's lunch for me," Blaise said, chuckling.

Sighing, Hermione shook her head. "We're getting nowhere. All right. Who thinks fish and chips would be good?" Nobody said anything. "Just Luna?" she asked.

"Actually, I kind of want roast now," she replied, shrugging.

"Right, anybody else want roast then?" Hermione asked, looking around at each of them. They looked back at each other, thinking it over and then finally, they grunted their agreeance. "Okay... uh, Draco, did we buy roast?" she asked, frowning.

"Yeah, it's in the ice box," he told her, crossing to the fridge and digging around in the expanded area, full of every meat Blaise was sure he'd ever seen in his life. Finding it, he brought it out and closed the fridge door.

"We should have a salad too," Hermione told them, to which every male grumbled.

"I'll make it," Luna offered, nodding happily.

"I'll help her," Harry said, sounding a little too excited just to be making a salad.

"I know a charm for peeling potatoes," Ron said, frowning, almost as if he wished he could take it back.

"Anybody know one for thawing this roast?" Draco asked, staring at the rock hard piece of meat.

"We could combine a whole lot of heating charms," Harry suggested, shrugging.

"That won't cook it?" Ron asked, staring at it curiously.

Blaise heard amused chuckling in the background and looked over to see Lupin and Tonks smothering their mouths with their hands.

Finally, they just decided to take their chances with the heating charms. Potter and Luna chopped up vegetables for the salad, talking quietly with each other. Blaise couldn't hear them but judging by the smiles they were both donning, he assumed it was a good conversation. He hoped that Harry wasn't going to just pretend he didn't like Luna, when it was obvious he did. And now that the Weasley girl was out of the picture, they could finally give each other a try.

Awhile later, they sat down to a meal at the table, where Hermione bugged Ron about his potato peeling charm which took off the cuff of his shirt, and Luna said it was better than when Harry accidentally chopped up a cabbage, thinking it was lettuce. Blaise noticed he had been distracted at the time, paying more attention to Luna than what he was doing. Which ended with one very disgusting salad the first go around.

Blaise found the atmosphere much more at ease than he'd been stuck in lately. Over the past couple weeks everything felt heavy, as if they couldn't do anything without something bad happening. But being back with his friends and talking about things with such a lightheartedness, he couldn't help but feel like things were getting better.

They spent most of the night, long after dinner was finished, talking about things that were simple and fun. How Draco wanted to put a Quidditch pitch up in the backyard, how Hermione was creating a library in one of the rooms, or even how Ron had 'accidentally' charmed legs onto his sister's new shoes. Blaise fell into the laughter and the comfort easily, forgetting all about how worried he had been before.

They made plans to go shopping again the next day and asked everybody to come with them to pick things up. Hermione told Ron he wasn't allowed to pick anything out in orange and black though, given that she didn't want a Chudley Cannon's designed room. They all ventured off to bed later that night, tired but happy. Blaise was fairly sure he'd never seen Draco so happy in all the years he'd known him.

-

They would spend the next two days shopping and putting together each room in the house, cleaning out the cobwebs and charming the dust off of many of the shelves and mantels. The house would be in tip top shape for the day of the wedding, which was fast approaching. Nobody spoke of what would happen after the wedding, whether the two soon to be newlyweds were really going to return, or if they'd just stay until the dust settled. Nobody brought up Voldemort, head hunts, or hateful fathers. It was all about enjoying the time they had together and spending it laughing and having fun.

During the two days, Blaise noticed just how much closer Draco and Hermione had become. It was obvious that they weren't just best friends anymore, but actually together. The wedding would mean more that way, and Blaise was happy that they wouldn't have to figure it out after the ceremony. He wondered what had transpired to change things, or if either of them even knew the extent of each other's feelings, but he never intruded.

Draco either had his arm around her waist or held her hand whenever they were beside each other. Hermione tended to lean into him or rest her head on his shoulder as they walked together. Blaise couldn't ignore just how perfectly they fit together. They spoke quietly, as if the rest of the world intruded on them, but they never pushed away their friends or ignored them for each other. They were able to look together and still include everyone, while possessing a closeness that looked rather unattainable from the outsiders point of view.

Luna and Harry had begun spending more time together, often walking away from the group to talk alone. At one point, Blaise was sure he had seen Harry holding Luna's hand, but his attention had been diverted moments later.

Since people were pairing up, he was left with Ron, who apparently loved Quidditch as much as food. He was quite the chatterbox, but Blaise had fun nonetheless, hearing some of the stories about his family and the pranks the twins had put on him. He was able to tell his stories about the many jokes he'd pulled on his mother's various husbands, which had Weasley laughing loudly and shaking his head at the hilarity, telling him he would get along famously with Fred and George.

-

Before long, it was the night before the wedding and Blaise found himself sitting in his bedroom, tapping a quill against his parchment, trying to think up what to say for his best man's speech. There was a knock at the door and he called for whoever to come in. He turned around in his chair, still surprised to see the lavish but comfy room he occupied. The bed was big and soft, with a mess of pillows and a warm blanket sitting invitingly on top. An end table sat on either side, candles lit on top of them, and a picture of Draco, Hermione, Luna and Blaise, taken back when they had all been together at school, grinning out at him. His trunk sat at the end of his bed, one of his shirts hanging out of it.

Draco crossed the room, plopping down in another chair across from him, near his dresser. "Not sleeping either huh?" he asked, his eyes roaming around the room.

"No, I was trying to figure out what to say at the wedding tomorrow. So far, all I've got is, 'Hi, I'm the ever handsome and intelligent Blaise, and I was given the regal title of best man,'" he said, grinning.

Snorting, Draco nodded, smiling to himself.

"Why are you up? Don't tell me you've got cold feet," he said, his brow lifting.

"Nope, not even close," Draco replied, shaking his head. "Hermione's talking to Luna. I think she's worried that her parents won't make it," he explained, sighing.

"Oh, so Dumbledore didn't agree to them coming?" he asked, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees while his chin rested on his clasped hands.

"No, he didn't tell us anything. He never agreed or disagreed. The old codger is too bloody mysterious," Draco muttered, rolling his eyes.

"He'll probably show up with them," Blaise offered, nodding. "A wedding gift or something."

"Hopefully," Draco said, nodding as he leaned back. "That's not why I came by though."

"Oh?" He furrowed his brow, waiting for his best mate to continue.

"Things are getting kind of rough for you at home, with your mum at least. And who knows how much longer school will be in anyway, what with the war getting so close," he noted, tapping his chin with his knuckle. "So Hermione and I were talking and we want you to know that... you know, if you ever need anywhere to stay or anything, this room is yours," he said, rather rushed.

"You're offering me my own room?" Blaise asked, his brows lifting, surprised. "Here with you guys, even though you're just getting married? Won't I kind of cramp that?" he wondered, unsure.

"Well, knowing you, you won't be around much. You'll probably only drop in from time to time. We just want you to know that you always have a place here with us," he said, shrugging. He was trying to look nonchalant, but it was obvious that he was being very sincere and wanted Blaise to accept.

"Yeah, no, that sounds great. I might drop in after Christmas, before school starts," he agreed, nodding. "If the war does get going and Hogwarts closes then I'm really going to need a place to stay. I mean, mum's becoming almost frantic trying to get information out of me. I'm almost worried about eating, thinking she might've spiked it with Veritaserum," he half-joked.

Nodding, Draco looked pensive. "I'm glad your here," he said, quietly.

"I'm glad I'm here too. It was getting boring back at school. With nobody for them to talk about, they fell into boring gossip about whether or not McGonagall likes Dumbledore," Blaise replied, grinning.

Snickering, Draco stood up, "Yeah well, I guess they'll be happy when we come back."

"So you are?" Blaise asked, looking up, sobered.

"Yeah," he replied, nodding. "No use hiding. Dumbledore said he'd have things cleared up enough by the time school starts. We're Headboy and girl after all, can't let those duties go to waste for too long," he said, shrugging.

"But it'll be dangerous. Especially if anybody realizes you guys got married. Which I'm sure they will since you'll be wearing wedding bands," he said, concerned and motioning to his hand for emphasis.

"Well, we can't hide it forever, might as well get it out of the way as soon as possible," he responded, trying to hide the look of fear that crossed his features.

"Y'don't have to pretend Draco, I know you're scared for her, for both of you," Blaise told him, sighing. "A lot is going to happen soon... Things none of us should have to go through," he muttered, shaking his head.

"I know," Draco replied, quietly. "But we can't change that. And... I'm just glad that you're all with us. I mean..." He laughed softly, "I'm getting married," he said, rather excitedly.

"Yeah," Blaise agreed, nodding as he stood up. "And to Hermione." For a moment, he felt the jealousy rise up in him, but he forced it away, trying to focus on his friends happiness.

A grin broke out on Draco's face, and he did nothing to hide it. "I told her I loved her," he admitted.

"I'm going to take a wild guess and say she feels the same," Blaise deduced.

He nodded, running a hand through his hand and resting it on the back of his neck for a moment. "Tomorrow I'm going to have a wife," he said, slowly. "I don't think... I've ever been happier," he told him, smiling.

"Good," Blaise said, nodding. "Really good."

Draco tipped his head for a moment, thinking, before he cleared his throat. "Well, I guess I'll leave you to it. Hermione's probably done with Luna and I know she's going to want to talk before we go to bed so..." Sighing, he crossed his arms. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow... before my wedding," he said, apparently unable to stifle his excitement at the event that was coming.

"Right. Goodnight then," Blaise bid goodbye, and waited until his friend had left the room before falling back into his chair and giving out a heavy sigh.

After so many days of ignoring that the future was inevitable, he began to worry. What if something happened at the wedding? Or what if they returned to school only to be attacked? How long were they really going to have together? He realized just how much he wanted his friends to be together, to have their time together. It had always pulled at him that he would never have Hermione, but in that moment, he wanted her to have Draco. It was with that thought, that he began working on his best man's speech, hoping that the next day would go off without a hitch.

* * *

**A/N** _The Wedding is the next chapter:D I hope you enjoyed this. I know it didn't have much Draco/Hermione, but it was more of an outsider's perspective. I love Blaise, lol. He's wicked awesome. Sorry for the late update, I'll have the next chapter up as soon as I can. Please review, it's greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading!_

_Much Love,  
-**Amanda**_


	32. Preparation Is Key! Wedding: Part 1

**Review offering insight to the story**:

"_Aw...I like it from an outsider's perspective. I especially like Blaise now that you've delved into his personality. He's so sweet, and I think that, in canon, he might not have been as evil as he really is portrayed in the books. You believe that, and you make it real to the people who don't think that. I really like how you have him read the Quibbler, and know exactly what Luna is talking about. It's a nice little quirk that adds a lot to his personality. It's interesting to see Draco and Hermione's relationship from somebody else's perspective. I like the way that there's some sense of deep friendship between Hermione and Blaise. It's a deep friendship, but it's not as deep as Draco and Hermione's. There just 'friends', and Draco and Hermione are FRIENDS, if you know what I mean. I think that the wedding will be beautiful, and I sincerely hope it goes off without a hitch. But, seeing as Lucius hasn't come up for a while, I bet he'll try to break up the wedding. Anyway, I can't wait for the next fantastic chapter!_" - **_PiperPaigePhoebe01 _**of FanFiction net.

**Thank you to the following reviewers of** Chapter Thirty - _**Reunited, And It Feels So Good**_: _spacesareoverrated, Phoenix flame01, Weaselbee, m, sandpaw, tom's a hottie, swimchik09, nelygirl, sickforslytherin, Summer, moly, xX Jk Rowling The 2ndXx, cmtaylor531, annieca (Ann), Hotkat144, bethygirl94, purplecrazy2291, TomxFeltonsxWifeyx3, Mrs. St John Allerdyce, Dark Blue Pen, Sam's Firefly, **cle be, Laendra, Desi Zehpyr, niic smiles, mskiti**_ (Melanie aka Tabi), _**Liyenette** _and _especially **Princess de la Plume, PiperPaigePhoebe01 **_and_** galloping-goose**_ (Zeus).

_**Growing**_

_Chapter Thirty-One_

_Preparation is Key_

-**Wedding: Part One**-

It was nearly five o'clock and everybody was bustling around like crazy. Ron, Harry, Luna, and Blaise had arrived only a half hour before, after finishing up their respective days with their families for Christmas. Draco and Hermione had decided to put theirs off until Boxing Day, using the morning to laze around in bed and talk privately. It wasn't until Tonks burst into the room, shouting about decorations, getting ready, and guests, a couple hours before that the two finally unwrapped from each other and began getting ready for their big day. Downstairs, everything had become hustled and bustled into action.

"The cake! Has anybody found the cake? Is it being delivered? Oh Merlin, there's not going to be any cake," Tonks shouted frantically.

"No cake? Blimey what kind of wedding is this?" exclaimed Ron.

"The cake is on the way, er, well, that is, Lupin said he'd have it when he got back," Blaise alerted them.

"He's supposed to be guarding the apparition point, making sure those who've arrived have their invitations and making absolute sure that they are who they say they are," Tonks yelled, her hair turning to white then red and settling on a bright pink.

"Settle down. Nobody is due to arrive for another three hours," Harry reminded, shaking his head and patting her shoulder. "You're more excited than Hermione is!"

"Does anybody know where I put my Butterbeer down? I swear I just had it," Draco called out, walking through the living room with his tie hanging undone down his front.

"Draco! You're supposed to be getting ready," Tonks told him, waving her arms in the air emphatically.

"Well I was thirsty," he replied, shrugging. "Besides, it's not going to take three hours to tie my tie and put my coat on."

"What if you spill your Butterbeer on that white shirt though?" she asked, her eyes widening and her hands falling to her hips.

"Then I'll _Scourgify _it away," he told her, rolling his eyes. "Take a breath, Tonks, you're not the one getting married."

"Who's making the food for this thing?" Ron wondered, walking by with a long, thin, white fabric hanging that seemed to trail behind him like a train of a dress.

"Molly is," Luna told him, running by with an armful of flowers and a hovering vase beside her.

"Why didn't you just hover the flowers?" Harry asked, shaking his head and lifting his brow.

"I got them the exact way I want them," she called back, in a 'duh' tone.

"My mum is going to be here?" Ron asked, using his wand to send the hanging up and using a sticking charm to keep it in the exact position Draco had told him to put it while they had been going through the schematics. Harry and Draco came up beside him, the Slytherin boy holding a chilled mug in his hand. All together, they tipped their heads to the right and stared up at the roof. "Too thin, right?" Ron asked.

Nodding, they righted their heads. "Use an enlargement charm... but not too big," Harry told him.

"Who's in charge of chairs?" Draco queried, motioning to them as he passed by to the front door, which was currently blocked by a small pile of white seats.

"Is Molly bringing the food with her or making it here?" Harry wondered, hurrying over to the chairs and using his wand to hover them into the den. "Because we really need to get things started."

"Well, I don't know. I mean, do any of them know where they're going?" Tonks wondered, her eyes widening as she wrung her hands. She had taken charge of everything, as oldest person in the house, at least while Lupin was away, and she'd become a little anxious. She had thought that everything would be put together easily with so many people, but it was taking longer than expected.

"As an Auror, shouldn't you be better under pressure?" Draco asked, leaning against a wall and guzzling some of his Butterbeer.

"That's hunting bad guys not putting together a last minute wedding," she growled, her hair changing to look like a wicked fire atop her head.

"I told you we should've gotten this together last night, but no, you guys wanted to have a bachelor party," Luna reminded, shaking her head.

"It was a great party," Blaise told her, grinning.

"Mm, my favorite part was when you dragged me out of bed at three in the morning, half pissed," Draco replied, lifting his mug in mock salute.

"And here I thought it was when you hovered us all back to our respective rooms, muttering about how you wanted to leave us in the front yard but Hermione might accuse you of messing up your wedding," Blaise responded, sending a white hanging up to sit opposite the one Ron hung.

"Where are the candles?" Luna exclaimed, sounding worried. "I had a box of white and red candles! Where are they? Oh no, you don't think the Phlarbant Ogles got them, d'you?"

"Er, no, Luna, I think I saw them on the kitchen table," Harry told her, adjusting the last of the chairs and searching through a pile of white fabric for the red silk carpet to be used as the walkway Hermione would follow to the minister and Draco.

"Maybe I should apparate over to The Burrow and see if mum is ready?" Ron suggested, looking around to see if anybody agreed.

"Yes, yes, do that. And ask her if Arthur is coming with her or coming later," Tonks told him, practically pushing him out the front door.

"Can Hagrid apparate?" Draco asked, walking by with an apple in his hand, not looking the least bit frazzled.

"I'm not sure, but he's coming with Dumbledore, so I'm sure it's all fine," Tonks replied, looking harried. Her stomach rumbled, but she ignored it, her eyes scanning the area to see what still had to be done.

Draco shook his head, handing her the apple and then plopping down on a chair. Yawning, he stretched his arms over his head, relaxing into the couch. "Shouldn't we move this furniture out of here? It kind of takes away from the atmosphere, don't you think?" he asked, glancing around.

"Oh no," Tonks moaned around a chunk of half chewed apple, her shoulders sagging.

"Don't worry, I can do this one," Draco said, standing up and plucking her wand from her hand. "I've been bored anyway. You shouldn't have banned me from helping," he muttered, frowning.

"You're the groom," she whined, shaking her head. "You're supposed to pace your room and psyche yourself up while reminding yourself that you really love her and it's not the biggest mistake of your life even though you're seventeen and in the middle of a huge war, where as a pureblood you should hate her!" she told him in a rush.

"Er, thanks for that lovely pep talk, cousin," Draco replied, cocking his brow at her. Waving the wand, he shrunk the furniture around him and then hovered it all up and into another room. "See, was that so hard? Oh no, I think I've overworked myself," he mocked. "In fact, I best go to my room and talk myself out of this, even if it happens to be one of the best ideas I think I've ever had," he said, rolling his eyes and handing her the wand back before he walked off.

"I didn't mean it like that," she said around the mushed apple in her mouth, making it muffled but still understandable.

"Lupin is back!" Luna exclaimed, coming into the den with a large box of large candles hovering above her. "Thanks Harry, they were just where you said they were."

"Brilliant," he replied, grinning like a goof and accidentally tripping over one of the chairs as he walked past it. Clearing his throat, he hopped off the floor and tried to look nonchalant.

Tonks sighed, running to the front door to throw it open and stare pointedly at Remus. "Where have you been? Where's the cake? You're supposed to be guarding for guests!" she shouted, quickly, crossing to meet him halfway.

"The cake? What cake?" he asked, his face emotionless.

Tonks' face cleared and her eyes widened. "Y'dont... There's no... Oh Merlin there's no cake! The wedding is ruined!" she cried, throwing her arms up.

"No, no, I was kidding," Remus told her, hurrying forward before she began sobbing loudly. "It's all right, I have the cake. I picked it up a little while ago, it's in the kitchen on the counter by the sink."

"Then where _were_ you?" Tonks asked, annoyed. "I've been running around frantic trying to get everything together."

"I was taking care of that... thing," he replied, staring at her with wide, pointed eyes. "I was just making sure it was ready."

"Oooh," she said, nodding slowly. Her face brightened. "Well, now that you're done, you can go monitor the gates for arriving guests. I'm glad we put up the apparition wards," she told him grinning.

"You're not the one who has to walk across their gigantic front yard to get there," he replied, dryly.

"Oh but isn't it a beautiful home, Remus?" she asked, twirling around to look at the vast property.

They were standing on the stone walkway from the reddish brown dirt circle driveway, staring out at the expanse of green grass in front of them, littered with tall, large trees. Behind them stood the light brown two-story Manor. Black double doors marked the center as the entrance, and on either side were huge panoramic windows viewing the beginning of the den and the living room.

Leading off from the left of the house was a guest home, smaller but still quite large. Which had it's own bedroom, with personal fireplace, living room, a small kitchen, and a large bathroom. It had a door connecting to the den, but there was a separate entrance all its own.

To the right was an extension where the kitchen was, where most of the roof was a skylight. There was a side door that exited the dining room out onto an area where a garden had previously been growing, but hadn't been taken care of in recent days. Hermione had told them all that she was going to revive it as soon as she could. Which started Draco on an amusing story of the last time she tried to revive a garden while he had been staying with her during the summer before fifth year. She wasn't perturbed though, and told him she was going to do it much better this time around.

On the second floor, the windows were smaller and more spaced out as they were connected to each of the bedrooms and bathrooms. The entire left side was taken up by the den. There were also two half baths, and two fireplaces, one in the den, and one in the soon-to-be library, on the first floor. While the second possessed a total of six bedrooms, three bathrooms, an office, and what Draco dubbed his Quidditch room; currently filled with equipment, brooms, broom kits, and various books on the game.

In the back area of the first floor was the large area that Hermione wanted to turn into a library. There was a door leading out onto the large porch, now equipped with very nice patio equipment and a swinging bench. From there was a sloping hill of grass leading to the lake and dock. Trees framed the back area beautifully, and branched out all around keeping the area very private. The closest place was across the lake and down a ways.

"Yes, it's all fantastic, but do I really have to wait for them this early? They've got hours still. Wouldn't I be of more help inside?" he asked, walking toward the door.

"But Molly and possibly Arthur will be here soon with Ron, you have to check their invitations," she told him, motioning widely.

"Tonks, darling, if Ron has gone to his house to pick them up, I'm going to have to bet it's really them. On top of that, why must I check their invitations? Dumbledore spoke directly to each of them and only a very select few were invited to this wedding. I don't believe anybody is going to Polyjuice in as Hagrid," he told her, sighing.

"Well, Draco wanted all precautions taken and I agree that it has to be very guarded. Don't you? You've never been one for bending rules," she said, her eyes thinning. "Unless you're not really Remus..." she accused quietly.

Closing his eyes briefly, Lupin pinched the bridge of his nose. "Tonks, you know it's me," he assured, nodding.

"How?" she asked, crossing her arms and frowning.

"Well for starters, how else would I know that I asked you out for a date when all of this is done, just three days ago?" he replied, a smile tugging at his mouth.

Blushing mildly, she nodded. "All right, it is you," she said, grinning. "But you still have to check all of the invitations!" she told him, ushering him back toward the large front yard. "They should all be apparating to the front area, just before the wrought iron gates!" Sighing, she shook her head. "And please try not to have any conversation with the statues on the pillars. We don't need any Muggles seeing you!"

"The road leading up here is quite a ways, if any Muggles see me, I'll have to ask what they're doing down here in the first place," he replied, dryly. "Besides, it gets boring out there. It's not my fault Draco charmed them to act lively and speak to those nearby. It really is quite a kicker though. Did you hear what they shouted the other day when I tried driving through? Called me a few choice names, they did! I do think that "M" emblazoned on the gates is a bit much though. Quite dramatic," he told her, stalling for time.

"I'm sure you'll survive," she told him, waving her arms for him to go as she backed up toward the house. "If you really think it's so far, I could summon over the car that's driving the guests to the front entrance," she offered, stopping in her steps.

"I bet Arthur is just going to love that thing," Remus said, smiling. "But I'll walk. Fresh air will do me good. I've been cooped up for too long."

"Mm," she agreed, nodding before her mind turned back to the wedding at hand. "I must go, there's so much to do. Hurry on! Guard the gate!" she told him, turning back to the door with her thoughts in a frenzy.

Sighing, he turned, making his way across the large driveway. "Oh and Tonks?" he called to her, grinning.

"Yes," she asked, exasperated.

"You look lovely," he told her, winking before he continued toward where he had to be.

Smiling, she turned and made her way back into the house, where everything was still hectic. She watched as Harry and Blaise tried righting a dazzling arch piece covered in flowers and twinkling lights where Hermione would be walking through, but it kept slipping on the white carpet, before finally it snagged on the material and ripped it. Both boys made a hissing noise at their mistake and finally used their wands to hover it into place, only managing to knock into Luna once before they got it right. Then they fixed the little tear with their wands, looking around to see if anybody saw their blunder.

"Where's Draco?" Tonks asked, looking around and finding the wandering groom nowhere to be found.

"Last I saw, he was snogging Hermione," Luna called out to her, shrugging as she charmed each candle to hover in the air.

"Oh but the groom isn't supposed to see the bride in her..." Tonks muttered, shaking her head and frowning.

"She wasn't wearing her dress yet, so it's all right," Luna assured, nodding. "She wasn't wearing much really. She was upset because her hair wasn't turning out as planned, so... Draco cheered her up," she explained, shrugging.

Snorting, Blaise shook his head. "Yeah, I'm sure that's how they'll explain having their first child early on. I was cheering her up and guess what happened," he joked.

"I highly doubt it," Luna said, shaking her head. "They've been careful enough not to sleep together so far, so I'm sure--"

"Hang on a tick, how d'you know they haven't..." Blaise queried, his brow lifted.

"Well isn't it obvious?" she asked, flicking her wand at another candle. "They want it to be special, so why not wait the few weeks until they're married," she told them, smiling. "It's really quite romantic. And mildly uncomfortable given just how many people are going to know what they're doing," she said, looking up from the corner of her eyes and frowning.

Harry wrinkled his nose, frowning at the thought. "Let's never speak of their sex life again," he decided, nodding shortly.

"Whose what now?" Molly Weasley called out, sounding appalled and looking thin-eyed at everyone in the room. She turned on her son, staring at him accusatory. "Ron?" she asked, her hands landing on her hips. "D'you have anything you need to tell me?"

"Wha? No!" he replied, quickly, glaring at the other people in the room.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Weasley, they were talking about me," Draco said, coming into the room. "I'm glad you could make it. I've heard incredible things about your cooking," he complimented, grinning suavely. "May I show you where the kitchen is?"

"Oh my, aren't you charming," she commented, smiling. "Quite different from what I remember, very good indeed." She nodded her head, smiling brightly, "To the kitchen then, young man."

Ron sighed in thanks, before turning to walk into the den to finish helping with the decorations. "Is this all the flowers we have? Kind of bare isn't it?" he asked, frowning.

"No, I just thought I should get the candles up first, since they're white," Luna told him, walking by.

Lifting his brow, Ron shook his head, "What does their colour have to--"

Blaise smothered his words with his hand. "Please don't ask. All I've heard about is various creatures that could destroy any number of things related to this wedding. I don't need to know about another. Just go with it," he told him, nodding quickly. Turning to Luna, he smiled, "Nearly all the candles are done, I'll get the flowers," he offered, running off in a hurry.

"Good, I'll go get the mistletoe!" she exclaimed, smiling.

"Where was the gift table put?" Tonks asked, running by with an armful of wrapped boxes. "It was supposed to be put over by the refreshment table! Which makes me wonder where the refreshment stand is too!"

"They were moved into the hallway because Harry kept tripping on them when Luna walked by," Blaise told her, walking past with various bouquets of flowers.

"I did not," Harry replied, reddening mildly from the accusation.

"And there might have been a problem with the hangings at the time," Blaise admitted, rolling his eyes.

"Can I move them back in then?" she asked, backing up toward the hallway.

"Yeah, but we might need more refreshments, Ron got to them," Luna said, passing by with a lumpy looking bag.

"What about music?" Blaise wondered, fiddling with the bouquets until he placed it on the wall in the middle of one of the hangings, pinning it so it all seemed to flow down majestically.

"The piano is charmed for the ceremony but Hermione convinced Tonks to pick up her stereo and CD's," Harry told him, helping carry the gift table back in with Tonks across from him. "What about pictures? Does anyone have a camera?" he asked, walking back to help with the refreshment table.

"I have four cameras, each charmed to circle the area and take pictures periodically," Luna told them all, nodding happily.

"I brought a Wizarding camera," Blaise announced, a rose in his mouth, having been in the wrong bouquet. "It's in my trunk upstairs."

"Mum brought two camera's," Ron told them, sighing. "Well, they won't be low on pictures."

"Who all are staying here overnight?" Tonks asked, looking around at them as she finished putting the table of food and drinks down. Resting her hands on her hips, she nibbled at her lip. "I know Remus and I will be here out of protection. There're twelve guests besides me, Remus, Draco, and Hermione. And there aren't enough rooms for everyone. I'm sure--"

"Twelve?" Blaise asked, his brow lifting. "Dumbledore, McGonagall, us four, Hagrid... oh," he said, nodding, realizing what she meant. "Well, my sister wanted me to come back and see her tonight. I promised that I would see if I could get back in to visit," he said, covering the fumbled moment.

"Yeah, and I don't think I really want to be here tonight," Harry said, nibbling on a slice of cheese.

"Why?" Ron asked, walking by with a furrowed brow until he finally stopped. "Oh... ew..." He scowled, shaking his head, looking as if he'd just eaten something foul. "Well, that settles is, I'm heading home when everything is finished up. Y'know, after the Firewhiskey and food."

"No Firewhiskey," Tonks told him, shaking her head. "I mean it, you guys had your fill last night. Had I known that's what you were all doing, I might've stopped it before you dragged Draco out of bed for a half-finished bachelor party," she chastised.

"Harmless fun," Blaise told her, winking as he worked another bouquet of flowers together.

"What about you Luna, are you staying or going?" Tonks asked, deciding not to razz them any longer on their mini party the night before, which none of them could remember clearly.

"Going," she said, shrugging. "Ginny asked me to stay over. Said she was bored and thought I might like hanging out with her. She has no idea why four members of her family have up and disappeared, or why the twins had secret gifts to go to people she wasn't allowed to know about. I think she's going to try and get the information out of me. It'll be fun," she said, shrugging.

"Four?" Harry asked, his brow cocked.

"Yeah, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Ron, and you," she replied, shrugging.

Grinning to himself, he nodded, before his attention turned to what she had said before that. "Oh, you'll be at The Burrow tonight?" Harry asked, stopping as he was walking past her, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"Yup," she replied, pinning something to the archway above her. She was standing on her tip toes, but she slipped slightly and fell into him. He wrapped his hands around her arms, steadying her. She smiled widely, staring up at him, before nodding upward.

Harry glanced up, seeing the red and green decoration with mild confusion until he turned back to her. Before he could comment, she had leaned up and pressed her lips against his. The kiss was soft, chaste, but had Harry in a daze for a moment as she pulled back, nodded at him and walked off to put more mistletoe up around the house. He made a weird laughing noise, until he realized people were looking at him funny. Shaking himself out of it, he blushed, and made a weird motion before disappearing from their wondering looks and amused chortling.

"Finally," Blaise shouted to his retreating form.

"No doubt," Ron said, passing him by to set up a small stand where the minister had asked, so he could read from a book he carried for the ceremony. Glancing up, he noticed the person he was getting ready for. "Minister just arrived!" he called out, watching as the older man in black robes walked up the stone pathway with his wife in tow.

"I'm surprised they agreed to do the wedding anyway after Draco admitted to them it was practically his fault that their chapel was blown up," Blaise commented, abandoning his post to get the door.

Ron shrugged, making wild motions with his arm and staring at the empty room ahead of him. Checking to see that nobody was around, he cleared his throat. "Thank you all for coming. I'm more than surprised to find out that I was asked to play Keeper for the Chudley Cannons. Especially since I was so recently given the title of Minister of Magic. Please, please, hold your applause. I'm only one man, even if I was voted the number one, two, and three most handsome bloke in Wit--"

"Uh Ron," Blaise interrupted, cocking his brow at the boy in front of him. "If you're done amazing the crowd, perhaps you could take a trip out to see Lupin. He told the Minister here that he needed somebody to watch the gate because he really needed to use the loo," he said, smothering his laugh.

Clearing his throat uncomfortably, Ron nodded, hurrying out of the room and walking to the door.

"Oh and congratulations," Blaise called out, snickering.

"Bugger off," Ron replied, walking to the waiting car and hopping in.

In the kitchen, Molly was moving around various dishes and desserts, adjusting and placing heating charms on some of the food she'd already prepared. "Blaise, dear, could you enlarge that table," she called to him. "It has to fit sixteen guests, remember."

"Yes ma'am," he replied, walking to the large dining room and waving his wand at the already quite big mahogany table.

"Call me Molly, dear," she told him, smiling warmly as she bustled around the room.

He nodded his agreeance before returning his attention to the table. "We're going to need more chairs," Blaise exclaimed, motioning to the eight that sat in front of him.

"More are in the closet beside the pantry," Draco told him, leaning on the counter and dipping a celery stick in the dip in front of him.

"Draco, do stop eating," Molly told him, moving the vegetable plate out of his reach.

"Sorry, a little nervous," he replied, brushing his hands off and standing up straight.

"Nervous?" she asked, surprised. "You don't look it!"

"I'm good at hiding it," he said, shrugging.

"Well, I must admit you two are quite young--" she started.

"Oh it's not that," he said, shaking his head. "I'm just a little worried about whether or not everything will go off without any problems," he told her, sighing. "Seems like whenever we let our guard down, something bad happens, that's all."

"Oh, well judging by how much scrutiny my invitation was under when I apparated in, I have no doubt that Lupin has everything under control," she assured, reaching out to cup his cheek affectionately. "Plus, I believe Dumbledore has asked a few other Order members to stand guard around the property. So don't you fret!" she told him, patting his cheek before returning to her food.

Nodding, Draco let out a long breath, trying to relax. "Everything will be fine."

"Yes, as long as you get dressed," Tonks told him, rushing into the kitchen. "All of you need to go get ready, now!" she exclaimed, looking incredibly worried as she wobbled around on one foot, trying to stuff a shoe on the one turned up in the air. "Luna, your dress and shoes are laid out on your bed and don't forget your hair. I think Hermione is still trying to get hers ready, maybe you could help her. Harry, please tell me you picked those robes up that you forgot?" she asked, looking up at him hopefully.

"Yeah, I brought them back this morning," he assured, nodding.

"Great, now go put them on," she told him, standing up and waving him away. "Ron? Where is Ron?" she asked, looking around.

"Standing guard at the gates," Blaise told her, leaning against the counter and sipping a glass of Butterbeer beside Draco.

"What?" she asked, her voice high and loud. "Why? Where did Remus go?"

"Right here," he told her, walking into the kitchen. "I had to go to the loo, and I thought maybe I should change into more suitable attire," he explained.

"Good," she said, nodding as she turned to face him. "Oh!" Her eyes lit up and a smile appeared. "Well, don't you look handsome," she told him, grinning.

"Thank you," he replied, smirking. "It's a full time job looking this good," he said, winking.

An affectionate blush coloured her cheeks while she smiled at him adoringly. "And here I thought you just woke up looking that good."

"As gag-worthy cute you two are being, maybe somebody would like to let Ron come back to the house so he can change for the wedding," Blaise suggested, looking back and forth between the flirting couple.

Clearing his throat, Lupin nodded shortly. "Right. I'm off then!" he announced, waving and walking toward the exit. "Food smells fantastic Molly!" he called out, before leaving.

"Where have the Minister and his wife ventured off to?" Blaise asked, looking around with a furrowed brow.

"Never mind that, you two should go change," Molly told them, moving her arms in a 'get out of here' manner.

Upstairs, Hermione sat staring in her mirror with a disgruntled frown. She heard a knock at the door, and called out to ask who it was. When she heard Draco's voice she told him to come in. She found herself sitting in something akin to lingerie, wearing a white bustier with lace knickers and a blue wedding garter belt around her thigh.

"As much as I dearly enjoy walking in on you like this," Draco said, kneeling down beside her, "the wedding isn't too far off and Tonks is having a conniption about everybody being dressed."

"It just doesn't feel right," she told him, quietly.

Startled, he glanced up at her, his brow lifting slowly. "Not the words your future husband wants to hear on _this_ day," he replied, sounding rather worried.

"Oh, no," she said, turning to him with wide, surprised eyes. "I meant that it didn't feel right not having mum and dad here. I mean, this is the part where she sits and tells me she's proud of me and that she couldn't imagine me being with anybody else. And she's supposed to do my hair and zip up my dress," she said, her voice quivering.

"I know," he said, reaching to take her hand, running his thumb over her hand reassuringly. "Don't worry, I'm sure they'll be here." Standing up, he bent over to press a kiss against her forehead. "And if not, well you could always marry me in this. It'll be quite the tale at cocktail parties later on in life."

Chuckling, she shook her head, smiling up at him.

Moving to stand behind her, he wrapped his arms loosely around her shoulders and rested his face against hers. "Today will be perfect, I promise you," he whispered.

Closing her eyes, she nodded, clasping her hands over his forearm and squeezing. "Hermione _Malfoy;_ has quite the ring, doesn't it?"

"Brilliant," he agreed, kissing her neck before standing up. "I better go finish getting ready. Besides, it's bad luck to see you in your dress before the wedding. Which is why I always made these trips while you were in your knickers. Wouldn't want to jinx us," he told her, winking with a smirk as he walked to the door. He stopped at the bed, grabbing his coat, shoes and cuff links, before continuing to the door. Just as he reached it, a knock could he heard. "Who's that?" he asked, his hand on the handle.

"Luna," came the reply. "And Blaise is looking for you," she told him.

Nodding, he opened the door, ushering her inside. "See you at the altar, love," he called back to Hermione.

"Can't wait," she replied, smiling.

Walking down the hall, he stopped in front of Blaise' bedroom, knocking loudly. "You in there?" he called out.

"Yeah," came his best mate's reply.

"You decent?" he wondered, lifting his brow.

"Not in this lifetime," Blaise said with a laugh.

"Many would say different," Draco told him, opening the door and walking in.

"Many would lie," he replied, shaking his head and trying to fix his tie. "So," he said, glancing over at the groom with a cocked brow as he turned from the mirror, "Not long now and you'll be a married man. How does that feel?"

Draco stared at him a moment, smiling slowly. "Invigorating."

"One woman for the rest of your life," he reminded, looking back to the mirror to continue fiddling with his tie. "When you wake up, she's there, when you go to sleep, she's there," he told him.

"I can't tell if you're trying to encourage me or lying and saying it's a bad deal," Draco replied, chuckling.

"Well, I think it was supposed to come off as a bit of discouragement, but I don't see a downside," he said, shrugging.

"Neither do I," he agreed, pulling the cuff links from his pocket to attach them to his shirt sleeves. "I just wish Henry and Jane were here," he said with a sigh.

"Well, the wedding hasn't started yet. There's still time," Blaise tried to encourage.

"How does it look down there? I haven't been in the den in awhile," Draco asked, sounding mildly skeptical.

"Great," Blaise assured, finally getting his tie right and turning around to pick up his robes. "You know, a few people might have to sit on the floor, the hangings could fall at any moment, and Harry is using all the mistletoe as an excuse to snog Luna, but everything will be fine."

"I counted the chairs myself, everybody has a seat," Draco told him, rolling his eyes. "The hangings have three sticking charms on each, I'm sure they'll hold, and I heard he only kissed her once."

"Way to take my thunder," Blaise replied, frowning as he shrugged on the black attire. "Well, how do I look then? Don't hold anything back? I can take the astounding compliments!" he said, grinning widely.

Snorting, Draco shook his head. "Well, I guess with a mug like yours, you have to get away with nice clothes."

"Hey," he said, faking an annoyed look.

Laughing shortly, Draco shook his head, leaning back on his arms.

"What's the matter? You look down," Blaise told him, slipping his feet into his polished black shoes.

"I dunno. My stand-in parents aren't here and I'm still agonizing over whether someone is going to come in and kill everybody while I wait for Hermione to meet me at the altar," he replied evenly.

"Morose," Blaise commented.

"Nightmare," Draco told him, exhaling heavily. "Kept seeing Lucius and his fellow Death Eaters break into the chapel and slaughter everyone. Including slicing Hermione's head off right in front of me."

"Wow," Blaise said, his eyes wide. "Well, on the bright side, obviously we're not in a chapel. Plus, there's no way Lucius would know where this place is. And you have one Auror and three Order members attending. I'm sure everything will be fine."

"Everybody keeps saying that but it never reassures me," Draco muttered.

"Well it should," came a voice from the doorway that had Draco grinning.

"Henry," he exclaimed, moving to stand up quickly. "When'd you get here? Is Jane here? Hermione really needs her. How was your trip? Did Dumbledore apparate you? Did you see everything downstairs? I swear I'll be good to her," he got out in one huge rush.

"It's great to see you too, Draco," he replied, smiling. Turning, he waved at Blaise, "Hullo there, son, I'm Henry Granger," he greeted.

"Blaise Zabini," he replied, standing to shake the man's hand. "Best mate of both bride and groom and best man for the wedding."

"Oh yes, I've heard great things about you, young man," he told him, nodding.

"Same here," he responded, looking back at Draco and then glancing in the mirror. "Well, I'm going to go see if Mrs. Weasley wants to let me sample dinner," he said, excusing himself.

Nodding, Henry waved goodbye before returning his attention to Draco. "Well, last time I saw you, you were just getting out of the Hospital Wing," he said, sitting down in one of the chairs. "Were you engaged then?" he wondered, looking curious.

Draco nodded, sitting back down on the trunk he had been occupying the top of. "We were keeping it quiet and at the time we were going to do it in a chapel in Hogsmeade, so there was no point in trying to see if you guys could come, you were being hidden at that safe-house," he explained, feeling like he was talking a mile a minute.

"It's all right, Draco, I'm not mad," he assured.

"You're not?" he asked, his brows lifting with question.

"No, I'm a little disappointed that we didn't know. I was getting worried that we wouldn't be here to see it happen, but I'm not mad that you're doing it," he told him, nodding. "You've been like a son to me for nearly three years. I remember when you were a fourteen year old boy who had questions about everything," he said with a laugh. "There's nobody that would treat Hermione better than you, and I trust that you two will have a wonderful marriage."

"I-- I really love her," Draco assured, nodding seriously.

"I know you do," he replied. "In fact, me and Jane have had a long-time bet going as to when you two would finally get together. My lovely wife owes me twenty pounds," he grinned.

Laughing, Draco shook his head. "When did she think it would happen?" he wondered.

"Shortly after school let out. She figured you guys would get lonely without each other around and finally admit you've been doting on one another all this time," he replied, adjusting his black suit coat.

Draco heard the cluttered conversation of people downstairs. "Who's all here?" he queried.

"Your Headmaster brought us along, then went back for a large man by the name of... Hagged?" he replied, looking questioning.

"Hagrid," Draco corrected, smiling. "Anyone else?"

"Well, when we arrived there was a woman with curiously changing hair. She said her name was Tonks, but I daresay she looked different when I first met her," he told him, frowning.

"She's a metamorphmagus," he explained, rubbing the back of his neck.

"A meta-- never mind," Henry said, sighing. "And Mrs. Weasley was working away in the kitchen, I believe. Other than that, I think I saw an older couple, who I'm sure was the minister and his... assistant?"

"Wife," Draco told him, tapping his chin.

Henry nodded, tipping his head as he thought back with thinning eyes. "Other than that, I think there was a pretty blonde woman. I only saw her for a moment though, going around the corner."

"Oh, my Aunt," Draco said, his eyes lighting up slightly. "Good. I'm glad she came."

"Who else is supposed to be coming?" Henry wondered.

"That just leaves Professor McGonagall and Arthur Weasley, if Hagrid and Dumbledore have come back," Draco told him, slipping his shoes on his feet and inhaling deeply.

"Are you ready for this?" Henry wondered, looking at him curiously.

"Very," Draco replied, nodding. "Are you?"

"Well, I can't say I've looked forward to giving my baby girl away, but... I know she's going to you, so it makes it a little easier," he responded, bobbing his head in_acquiescence_.

Standing up, Draco pulled his coat on and began tying his tie, his fingers fumbling a bit out of nerves. He still had a long going fear that he was going to look down the aisle and see his father coming out with a malicious smirk and a drawn wand.

Henry swatted his hands away, taking the tie from him. "Had to do this more times than I can count," he told him, sighing. "D'you remember that summer block party that everybody had to get dressed up for back after your fifth year?" he asked, adjusting the lengths of the black silk accessory.

"Of course," Draco said, smiling. "I accidentally put my shirt on inside out."

Laughing, Henry nodded. "Yeah and Jane told you to fix it, but you thought she was talking about your tie, so you tried redoing it, but somehow managed to tie it in a huge knot."

"Tricky little bugger," Draco told him, snickering.

"Yeah," he sighed, rather wistfully. "Seems like ages ago," he told him, smiling rather shakily. "You two are growing up so fast," he said, his voice going out a bit in the end. He cleared his throat and continued looping the tie together.

Draco looked up at him, noticing that he looked a little sad. "You helped me grow up, you know," he told him, looking down at the now finished tie. "I mean, over these last three years, I've never really... You guys were always my family," he admitted, smiling briefly. "You and Jane were the only adults I could really count on to care."

"You'll always be a son to us, Draco," Henry told him, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Long before you and Hermione fell in love, we considered you to be part of our family."

Draco nodded, feeling his throat tighten with emotion. He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out.

Finally, Henry simply pulled him in for a fatherly hug. "I'm proud of you. I've been proud for years," he told him, clapping his shoulder. "This'll be one of the best days of your life, son."

Draco nodded, unable to reply. He finally had the father he'd always wanted and he was getting married to the only woman he could ever see himself with. There was a knock at the door and a moment later, Jane came bustling in. He was pulled into another hug, this one more teary and emotional.

"You're getting married," she cried, her arms wrapping tighter around his shoulders. "And I don't have a camera!" she exclaimed.

"I'm sure there are lots downstairs," Draco told her, chuckling.

"You look so handsome," she told him, sniffling. "Oh and you'll never guess who we brought!" she said, her words rushed as if she had so much to tell him she just couldn't decide on a subject.

"Who?" he asked, letting her stand back from him so he could see her, though her hands still clutched at the sleeves of his coat.

"Helena!" she told him, grinning. "We thought she'd be better suited out here with you. She hardly ever gets out at the place we're staying and you always enjoyed taking her for walks. Dumbledore assured us that the property was large, so we brought her on over."

Smiling widely, he nodded. "Wonderful!"

"Yes, and I also brought over some Shepherd's pie and a dish of apple cobbler. I wasn't sure what you two had for groceries, so I put them in the fridge downstairs. Oh, and my word, this place is just beautiful," she told him in a hurry, cupping his cheek affectionately. "I met your aunt downstairs too, she is quite the women!"

Chortling, Draco nodded.

"Oh," she fawned, reaching out to hug him again. "It feels like just the other day you were asking me what a hotdog was made of," she murmured, sadly.

"I still don't know," he replied, shrugging.

"Are you worried about tonight?" she asked, pulling back to look at him inquisitively. "I know the wedding night can be very nervous. You must be so jittery about that. With all these people knowing too, it must be just uncomfortable. But y'know sweetie, you two are far too young to have children running around. I'm sure you know about the precautions that need to be taken. But sometimes you just get so caught up in the moment that you forget. I'm too young to be a grandmother yet, darling. Give me a couple years!" she told him, giggling lightly before bustling on in her little speech.

"I was a virgin on my wedding night too, and you best believe that it was terribly nerve wracking. What with everybody watching you leave and just knowing what you were going off to do. And well the actual night was very--" she got out in a long rush.

"Love, try not to traumatize the boy," Henry interrupted.

Draco simply stared at her with wide eyes and a slack jaw. He hadn't thought for one moment that Jane Granger would be talking to him about his first time on the day of his wedding, to her daughter no less. He managed to compose himself, clearing his throat and looking at her without appearing frazzled. "Uh, I'm sure Hermione and I will be careful. No kids for a few years, got it!" he assured, nodding.

"Okay, well I have to get back to Hermione, she was getting Luna to finish up the last touches on her hair when I left."

"Okay," Draco said, finding himself pulled into another teary hug.

"I'm so happy for you," she told him, crying. "This is the most beautiful day!" she said, weeping as she walked to the door.

Just as she was walking out, Andromeda appeared at the door. "Can I have a moment?" she asked, hopefully.

"Sure," Henry said, turning back to nod at Draco. "I'll see you downstairs," he told him.

"Great," Draco replied, looking over to his aunt as she walked in.

"Big day," she commented, smiling.

"Huge day," Draco responded, nodding.

"You look wonderful," she told him, reaching out to smooth her hands over the shoulders of his coat, patting his arms. "I... I wish your mother could be here to see you. She'd be so proud," she told him, showing him a watery smile.

"I wish she could be too," Draco agreed, somewhat sadly.

"I'm glad you invited me though," she said hurriedly, nodding happily. "With everything that was happening, I wasn't sure you were going to go through with the wedding. But I'm glad you did. When I married my Ted, it was both wonderfully happy and terribly sad," she admitted, sighing.

"Why's that?" Draco asked, his brow furrowed.

"Well, the majority of my family looked down on him. He was a Muggle, you know, and I was disowned for loving him," she explained, sitting down on the trunk beside him. "Only my cousin Sirius attended. It was a beautiful wedding and I never regretted marrying Ted, even if it did turn my family away from me. I think it says something about them if they were willing to turn their back on me just for loving someone who was different."

"Was it hard?" he asked, looking over at her with a curious expression.

"For awhile," she admitted, nodding. "But I really loved him and he made it worth while. He's gone now, but I wouldn't trade our time for anything. He was a wonderful man and an incredible husband. I found out who my true family was in that time. And I made a family of my own, which meant more than being seen as royalty because of the Black name."

"I gave up being Malfoy a long time ago," he told her, nodding. "Lucius just didn't want to let me go."

"The best thing to do is just keep living this life and never let him interfere with what you have. I can tell you really love Hermione, and she dearly loves you." Wrapping her arm around his shoulders she hugged him to her side. "Now if only you can avoid treacherous demons with a knack for possessing powerful wizards and mobs of people who think they're bombarding you for a cause, then maybe you can enjoy this holy anointment," she said, jokingly.

"Well, seeing as it's indoors and there hasn't been any suspicious post that would have killer curses inside owled here lately, I believe I'll be okay. At least for today," he assured, smiling.

"Great," she said, standing up. "Because I'm pretty sure they're nearly ready for you."

Draco nodded, taking in a deep breath. "Well, let's go down and see my dozen or so guests then," he said, smirking as he offered his arm to her.

Hermione stared in the long mirror ahead of her, smoothing out the long white dress she was swathed in. The straps lay to the side, off her shoulders, with small white flowers sewn into the fabric that ringed the collar down across in a modest V-neck and around the rim of the dress. The same flowers were embroidered around her waist, in a dipped curve beneath her navel at the end of the fitted top. From her hips, the white fabric trailed out around her, soft beneath her fingers. From the small of her back, her dress opened upward in a V, leaving her bare. A sheer white train hung out behind her, not too long, just enough to appear elegant.

Her hair was pulled up partly, the back fell in ringlets and waves, with white pearls woven through it. She had put on just a little makeup, enough to bring out her natural features without overdoing it and making her look fake. She felt like she was glowing though, with an unearthly happiness at least.

Her mother wrapped a dazzling necklace around her neck, a pear shaped diamond in the center. "I wore this on my wedding day," she told her, doing the clasp up. "Now you have something borrowed."

"And my garter belt is blue," she said, blushing.

"Now you just need something old and something new," Luna added, tipping her head in thought.

"Well, I was going to give you these after," her mum said, digging in her purse and coming out with a small box. "Your grandmother told me to give these to you on your wedding. They're very old. They were her mothers," she told her, bringing out a pair of diamond studs with a small emerald at the top of each.

"They're beautiful," Hermione told her, her eyes wide.

"You know, you could consider the wedding dress new," Luna suggested, applying a spell to her hair.

"But I bought it a month ago," Hermione reminded, shaking her head.

Jane smiled, her brow lifting. "Just how long have you two been engaged?" she wondered.

"A month," Hermione told her, shrugging.

"He proposed on an Abraxan," Luna called out, grinning.

Jane looked at her daughter curiously, having no idea what an Abraxan was.

"A flying horse," Hermione told her.

"Wow," her mother awed. "One of a kind proposal."

"Definitely," she replied, nodding.

"Hm, well since you've never worn the wedding dress, I vote it's new," Jane decided, nodding. "Now, you're all ready," she told her, taking her hand and squeezing tightly. "My little girl is getting married," she cried, her eyes tearing up and her sniffles returning.

"Oh mum," she said, reaching out to hug her.

"I swear it was just yesterday that you were going to Kindergarten," she mumbled, her voice low and emotional. "Now you're in a wedding dress and about to marry little Draco."

"Mum, Draco was fourteen when you met him. He wasn't exactly little!" Hermione said, chuckling.

"Well he was little to me," she replied, sniffling. "He's like the son I never had!" she exclaimed, wiping her eyes. "And now the two of you are getting married, oh I couldn't be happier!" she told her, her tears starting up again.

"I know mum," Hermione said, patting her back. "This is the third time you've said that in a half-hour."

"Oh you," she replied, shaking her head.

"Everybody decent in here?" called her father's voice from behind the door.

"If by crying their eyes out, applying make up, and standing serenely in a wedding dress, then yes," Luna replied.

Chuckling, Henry entered the room, looking around at each of them. "I thought I'd stop in and see how you're all doing. Draco is downstairs greeting guests and trying to find out if anybody bought you guys a toaster," he told them, shrugging. Walking forward, he held his arms out to Hermione, who met him halfway for a hug. "You look beautiful, sweetheart," he told her, holding her tightly.

"Thank you, daddy," she replied, her arms wrapped around him snugly. "You'll walk me down the aisle, right?" she asked, looking up at him with a hopeful smile.

"Of course!" he replied, grinning. "Oh, and I've written a fantastic speech to read at dinner too," he boasted, a wide grin on his face.

Hermione groaned, looking quite skeptical. "Really?" she asked, her brows high. "It's nothing too... embarrassing, is it, dad?" she wondered.

"Let's just say you and Draco have left me with some wonderful stories," he responded, jovially.

She sighed, shaking her head and worrying her lip.

There was a knock at the door and Tonks came hurrying in. "All right, everybody is seated and Draco is conversing with the Minister up at the front of the altar," she announced. "Now, one more time, where are you going?" she asked, staring at her with wide, hopeful eyes.

"Down the backstairs, through the soon-to-be library and around to the archway where the red carpet starts," Hermione replied, nodding. "Oh my veil!" she exclaimed, her eyes widening. "And my flowers, too. Where did I put them?" she asked, looking around wildly.

"Right here, darling," her mother told her, handing her the bouquet of pink roses and periwinkles, held together with a white ribbon that hung down to her knees. "Beautiful," she murmured, before taking the sheer veil from Luna's outstretched hand. She pressed the two pearl berets into Hermione's hair, letting the front of the veil fall across her face, while the long piece fell down her back, brushing against her bare skin.

"Okay, all ready," Hermione said, smiling brightly.

"Brilliant," Tonks replied, nodding. "Luna, how 'bout you?"

Standing up,the quirky blonde nodded excitedly, adjusting her crown of mistletoe that sat atop her gleaming blonde hair, falling in a straight decent over the front of her shoulders. "All ready!" she announced. She was wearing a very beautiful set of lavender robes that looked stunning on her. Harry was going to be drooling all over the place.

"Okay, I'm going to go take my seat," Tonks told them. "Luna, you'll be escorted by Blaise. He's waiting at the archway for you. Jane, if you're all finished, you can come with me."

Nodding, Jane turned and kissed Hermione's cheek. "I'll see you down there," she told her, smiling warmly and wiping a stray tear from her cheek. She turned and followed Tonks to the door.

"You look ravishing, Hermione, completely ravishing," Tonks complimented, giving her a thumbs up before exiting the room.

Inhaling deeply, Henry let it out in a heavy sigh. "All right then, ready to go?" he asked his daughter.

Taking one last look in the mirror, she nodded at her smiling self. "Very ready," she told him, taking his offered arm to leave the roof and make their way down the backstairs.

As they got closer to the arch, she could feel her heartbeat speed up, not in nervousness, but in anticipation. She went over her vows one last time in her head, locking them in her mind to be said out loud to him. She smiled at Luna who waved and walked over to meet Blaise, who was grinning at Hermione widely, sending her a playful wink. She could hear the music start as two of her best friends began their walk down the aisle, to take their places at either side of the bride and groom.

Inhaling deeply, she prepared herself to take the easiest leap of her life. It was like walking to heaven; he would be waiting there for her, a promise in his every word. Every step was one more toward a bright future and a move past the callous behavior of those who didn't know them. She cared not for those who looked down on them, but was instead surrounded by all those who believed in them. She would gladly take his hand and commit herself to only him, because in reality, she always knew that it would always be them. Draco and Hermione, best friends, and soon-to-be happily married. Whoever their storyteller was, she sure knew what she was writing.

* * *

**A/N** _Long, yes I know. Just so everybody knows though, I haven't been neglecting this story. My alerts keep messing up, so it doesn't go out to tell people I've updated. I don't like putting up a new chapter until I'm sure that everybody has read the last one. Anyway, I had to break the Wedding scene up into two parts. So I hope you liked this! I spent nearly 8 hours straight writing! Please leave a review, I'd love to know what you think! Thank you all!_

_Much Love,  
-**Amanda**_


	33. For Better or Worse! Wedding: Part 2

**Review offering insight to the story**:

"_Wow! I always try and write those really long, in-depth reviews that you post at the beginning of every chapter, but it never works out. Ii really do love this story, though. Your characters are really life like, and I love how you make Draco and Blaise seem totally nice, but still canon to the books. Hermione is perfectly in character, and you make Harry/Luna look completely plausible, even though I have never really believed it could happen. I know this is coming a bit late (I was off the internet for about two months) but the scenes with Creaven and the white soul were amazing. You are an extremely talented writer, and I would consider you one of the best fanfiction writers I have ever heard/read of. Also, this fic has had me addicted for a long time, and I think is probably one of the best Draco/Hermione fics out there. Please update soon!  
ps- The fact that Narcissa became a mother in the last days of her life was just too bittersweet for words.  
pps- I love the storyteller references that are woven into this. It's great._" - **_ThePranksterQueens_** of FanFiction net.

**Thank you to the following reviewers of** Chapter Thirty-One - **_Preparation Is Key - Wedding: Part One_**: _untamedspiral, Confidential, Hotkat144, bethygirl94, Mrs. St. John Allerdyce, Zarroc, Sam's Firefly, TomxFeltonsxWifeyx3, outkasthpfanatic, Laendra, sandpaw, anon, xX Jk Rowling the 2nd Xx, Weaselbee, Shady76, babygirl36554:), nelygirl, angelrider93, cle be, Steelo, mike tike tofu, CharmedLife19, Elven at Heart, sasmith, dracos-soccerstar, swimchik09, purplecrazy2291, **cmtaylor531, myspleen, niic smiles, YourBeautifulDisaster, BethyAnn, Phoenix flame01, FlameWriter008, ThePranksterQueens, anie smiles **_and _especially** annieca, Classic Pairs Shipper, Princess de la Plume, mskiti** (Melanie aka Tabi)**, Liyenette**_ and **_galloping-goose._**

_**Growing**_

_Chapter Thirty-Two_

_For Better or Worse_

**-Wedding: Part Two-**

Draco had spent the last thirty or so minutes mingling with the guests coming to the wedding. He thanked Dumbledore for being kind enough to bring Jane and Henry along, taking them out of the safehouse he had them hidden in. He was forced out of the kitchen three times by Mrs. Weasley, who said he would have to wait for dinner to eat. He found Harry and Luna holding hands and talking quietly together near the back porch, which he was oddly happy about. And he took great pleasure in watching Ron be chastised by his mother for sneaking out a plate of cheese and crackers.

Then Tonks came in and announced that it was time for everybody to take their places. So, Dumbledore was forced out of his conversation with the Minister and his wife, who hadn't said a word since she arrived. Remus returned from doing a property check, assuring him that everything looked fine. There were a number of Order members put on guard in various places around the outside of the house, and Remus said his wand would go off with an alarm if anybody entered unchecked.

Before he knew it, he was standing up at the front of the altar, nodding at Blaise who stood at the beginning of the aisle, waiting to walk Luna up the red carpet. The elderly Minister stood beside him, swathed in heavy black robes and wearing a kind expression.

"Nervous?" he wondered, his voice oddly relaxing. Having never met him before and only spoke through post, it was rather odd seeing him now. But, he looked quite a bit like what Draco had thought he would. Greying hair, wise eyes, tall and thin, with an air of quiet intelligence.

"Not for the reason you might think," Draco replied, looking back at him.

"When I married my wife I was just your age," he replied, nodding slowly. "My parents thought I was crazy, my brother had unrequited feelings for her, and most of my friends had no idea we were even seeing each other," he admitted, shrugging. "We married in a small chapel with almost nobody who really cared about us and relied solely on each other to get by in life."

"Any regrets?" Draco asked, lifting his brow.

"For the first year I considered getting an annulment," he admitted, sighing.

The honesty was refreshing and Draco rather liked that he wasn't going to tell him everything went smoothly. Life is made up bumps and falls, that's what makes it both interesting and worth working through.

"But, after that year, we found that sometimes the people who really matter are the ones who stuck by you through it all. She didn't give up on me when I lost my inheritance from my parents, she never chastised me for dropping out of school to support us, and she told me she loved me every single day." Nodding, he smiled briefly. "I may have had one year of regrets, but I had a lifetime to make up for doubting."

Draco nodded, his hands clasped behind him. The piano began playing a light tune, one that lit the candles hovering above and quieted the people around him. The aroma of flowers warmed the air, the candle flames created a romantic atmosphere, and the mix of red and white fabric around him made everything both innocent and passionate. The dark walls were covered in filmy fabrics that fell to the floor and pooled out in a flattering manner. For a wedding put together in a mere few days, it was incredible.

Blaise began the slow walk down the aisle, his arm wrapped in Luna's, who looked wonderful in her lavender outfit. She smiled out at everyone, waving her small bouquet of flowers at Harry once before returning her eyes to the front to wink at Draco with an encouraging smile. As they reached the front, they parted ways and Luna reached out to squeeze Draco's hand before taking her place on the side.

He felt Blaise clap him on the back and turned to survey the group of people in front of him. It had all started so small. With just those who stood with him up at the altar bearing witness to their wedding. Now he stood before twelve people who believed in them, cared for them, and supported their decision. Here were two of their professors, their Headmaster, Draco's cousin and aunt, three important adults in Hermione's life, four friends, and two parents. And he couldn't help but be happy that he and Hermione had a strong support group behind them, even if the rest of the Wizarding world was plotting against them.

Suddenly, his gaze swept back over to Dumbledore and glanced down near the floor. He grinned widely as he realized Dobby was sitting in a conjured brown stool, one that looked old and only moderately stable. He had a rag held up to his large eyes as he was already wiping away happy tears. He was glad that Hermione had encouraged him to apologize to the small elf years before, since then he had helped Draco with various things. Plus he had been kind enough never to let it out that he and Hermione were secretly friends, even letting them meet on occasion at the kitchens to talk over a late dessert. Draco actually felt kind of bad for forgetting to invite him but was glad to see that he still managed to come along.

He adjusted his attention to the flowered and glowing archway when he heard many of the guests gasp. She took his breath away, literally, he felt all of the air escape him as he saw her. He stood by the fact that he'd always thought she was beautiful, but there it was displayed before him like a blinking, screaming sign. She exulted a glow about her, one that nearly brought him to his knees in recognition.

The moment she stepped foot on the red carpet, the roof above changed just as he had charmed it to. Her eyes turned up, staring at the dark sky to see stars blinking above. They weren't like that of just any night sky though, but of the constellations she had pointed out to him during their summers together, wrapped up in each other on the porch swing. There were a few shooting stars that streamed across the sky, bursting into a hail of glittering light when they reached the end of their frame. She stared up at it with an expression of surprise and love, before returning her gaze to him, complete appreciation and adoration in her eyes.

She seemed to float across the floor, her arm wrapped in Henry's as she looked from the stars back to Draco with a smile that couldn't possibly get wider on her beautiful face. When she finally reached him, he held his hand out but felt it shaking. He could hear the voice in his head telling his eyes to check for Lucius at the back, just to be sure. His eyes begged to turn, just to be absolutely convinced that this moment was all theirs and nothing horrible would happen.

It felt like slow motion as Henry passed her hand to his, but Draco managed not to let his fears get the best of him. He would not let Lucius ruin this part of their life by taking his attention away from who was really important. As Hermione's hand met his, he felt his smile widen and blinked rapidly, almost as if he thought she would fade into a dream.

"Breathe," she whispered, and he did. He managed to quiet it so it wasn't a huge, suffering gasp and nearly laughed at the situation. He felt rather foolish for actually forgetting such a vital part, but she just stared up at him happily, a tear sitting at the edge of her warm brown eyes. He threaded his fingers with hers, holding them tightly in his, lifting them to kiss the top. In that moment, everybody else just disappeared, leaving just the two of them in his mind.

The Minister stood at the stand beside them, centered with his hands resting on either side of a book in front of him. Clearing his throat, he looked out across the thirteen seated people before him. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered this sacred eve to bear witness to the matrimonial joining of these two richly devoted people before us.

"During this time, we are grateful to all powers that be that have allowed these two to overcome the greatest of problems and stick by one another through all that stood in their way. We watch as they vow to stay committed to each other while all that works against them stand promising to tear them down. We must give thanks to all that bless this marriage and pass on their most cherished praise on their all-encompassing love. May this be the beginning of a marriage to last the ages, to overcome all adversity, and only strengthen over time.

"I hold here a Muggle book I have read many a time. Inside it possesses a knowledge of love and marriage that I believe holds true in this respect. I ask that you lend your ears to 1 Corinthians 13:4 - 8," he told them, letting his eyes rest down on the page before him.

"_If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don't have love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don't have love, I am nothing. If I dole out all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don't have love, it profits me nothing. Love is patient and is kind; love doesn't envy. Love doesn't brag, is not proud, doesn't behave itself inappropriately, doesn't seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; doesn't rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails_," he read, in a voice that was both loud and soft.

Draco hadn't known what he was going to read, but he forced himself to listen as he trusted that the Minister would have something wise to pass on concerning his and Hermione's union. He was pleasantly surprised to hear the words he read and though he didn't spare the older man a glance, he did smile as he listened intently. While he stared into Hermione's eyes, he wondered if she was going to add that same book to her own library when everything was put together. It wouldn't surprise him and so he locked the information away in his mind, telling himself that he would buy it for her as soon as he could.

Closing the book, the Minister rested it on its back, smiling at the bride and groom. "Both Draco and Hermione have written their own vows and would like to speak them now, so I hand the gift of speech to them to share with us their lifelong promises to one another." He waved his hands out slowly, as if to tell them it was their turn.

Taking his cue, Draco inhaled deeply, letting it out in a quiet sigh. His palms felt a little sweaty and his tie was choking him slightly. He had never been all that comfortable speaking publicly about certain things, so he was a little worried about what to say in front of a group of people, some he trusted, some he hardly knew. Hermione squeezed his hands, bringing his attention back to her, and while his gaze sat on her warm, encouraging smile, he gathered his strength and let his mouth say the words his mind had memorized to a T.

"I've had to rework my vows recently. I wanted them to be perfect and I wanted you to know exactly what I feel. I think you already do, but I'm still going to do my best to assure you that what we've grown to become is going to last us a lifetime," he spoke, his voice clear and his only real audience her.

His mind was whirring, showing him memories of when they had first became friends. Her incessant need to make sure he was okay and his overwhelming act of trying to pretend he was fine. He remembered finally breaking down, of letting her hold him as he blurted out the problems with him and his life. It went on to remind him of their first summer together, when he first experienced what it was to be normal. To have parents worry about him, to have a real friend who would readily listen to his issues or enjoyments, to see the world from another view, possibly a better view.

He watched as he and Hermione laughed, smiled, held hands, rode bikes, watched movies together cuddled on the couch, embraced on the porch swing while enjoying the miraculous view of stars. It was all there in the front of his mind, the better part of their relationship, ignoring all hatred and disappointment that came after. He felt his shoulders lift with the reminder, his stance becoming more confident.

"You were the first person to care about me. More than anyone I have ever known, you understand and accept me for who I am. When we first met, I didn't know who I was; the only real title I had was being a Malfoy. But with you in my life, I gained everything. An identity, a family, a best friend, a confidant, and a person that I could love, that would always love me back." He realized his voice was getting a little shaky, so he cleared his throat quietly.

"When we first became friends, I think we both understood that it was supposed to be wrong and should be hidden. After awhile, I know I tried to convince you to come out with it more times than I could count and when it finally did, it was all a mess," he admitted with a small sigh. "And I know I should be more upset about it, but I can't help but be grateful for what happened because of it."

Swallowing, he smiled at her, noticing the glistening bead of adoration sitting brightly at the corner of her beautiful brown eyes. "We're young; in age

anyway. I don't believe our experiences can be equated to that of those who are older and marrying this same day. Whether I was thirty, sixty, or even a hundred, I really don't think I could love you any more or any less. And I'm going to prove that for the rest of our lives." He heard a moved response of jubilant praise for his words go through the den from the seated guests, but he paid it no mind.

Inhaling deeply, he glanced down at their joined hands, squeezing them lightly before returning his gaze to her shaky smile and tear stained cheeks. "I can't promise their won't be problems, or questions, or even doubts from those we meet in the future. But I can promise you that I will always be right there beside you through it all. I can promise that I will always love you, cherish you, and stand strong by the belief that I was created to be your other half, and you mine. The world can question that, mock it if they please, but I'd never lie to you. It'll be me and you forever, whether they like it or not."

One of his hands broke away from hers, lifting to cup her cheek tenderly. He smiled as her face immediately moved to press into his palm and her eyes fluttered as if she were completely content. She let out a soft sigh and a silent stream of tears fell down her supple skin.

"Now hurry with your vows, because I really want to kiss you and I can't do that until the end," he mock-whispered.

Laughing, Hermione sniffled, lifting her hand to cover his against her cheek. He turned it, lacing their fingers and letting their hands fall to hang down between them, his thumb brushing over her engagement ring briefly.

Hermione inhaled a shaky breath, letting it out and blinking her eyes rapidly. She smiled at him, trying to regain her composure enough to speak. Finally, she nodded and opened her mouth, "It took me weeks to write my vows," she admitted, her voice quiet and quivering. Draco was somewhat sure he heard Ron gasp with surprise that Hermione hadn't been able to do something for a long period of time. Swallowing, she tipped her head. "I had so many things to say to you, so many things I wanted you to know," she explained, her voice slowly gaining its normal pitch.

"We've had nearly three years of innocent friendship that meant more to me than anybody could ever know. I could turn to you for anything and you were always there to listen to me, to hold me through my fears, and to remind me that I was worth something in this world, whether it be Muggle or magical," she spoke, her eyes staring directly into his, still riddled with tears but shining with love.

Her voice was rather quiet and though he knew there were seventeen other people in the room, he felt like they were the only two there. His ears cut out anything that wasn't her voice, saw nothing but her face, and soaked it all in with a shaking mouth. He hadn't realized he might actually get emotional while listening to her, since he already knew how she felt. Hearing it though, knowing how much he meant to her over the years was invigorating. He'd spent so long being worthless to his father that Hermione had become the only opinion that truly mattered. He had always known she cared, but it wasn't as if they sat around and told each other just how much they mattered every day.

"During our summers, I was constantly happy to have you by my side. We experienced so many things; things I never would've done had you not been there. Like balloon rides and freed farm animals, botched skateboarding and late night bike rides to the corner store, midnight swims in the lake and matching tattoos," she whispered the last part, casting a minutely worried eye over to her parents. He chuckled lightly, grinning from the memories that swarmed his mind.

"I know I always told you that we would let our secret out when the time was right, which I honestly didn't believe would be until after school, and I know I've often expressed my annoyance at how it came out," she said, her eyes falling for a moment before lifting to his, "but I wouldn't change it if I had a choice. I would avoid a lot of the problems that preceded our big reveal, but I would never take back that it happened. Because it gave me you in a much bigger way," she said, softly, her lips shaking with emotion.

The need to kiss her was growing impatient and he wished he had the ability to freeze time just for a minute so he could taste her supple lips for one last moment as best friends and an engaged couple. A sort of goodbye to what they were, but then he had spent most of the day doing that, so he forced himself to stay strong to simply waiting for when he was allowed to. Which was hard with her mouth staring out at him, lips practically begging to be ravaged by his pliant mouth.

"Growing up you were always someone I could count on, that I trusted wholly. I don't know the exact day it was that I realized I was **_in_** love with you, but I know I've loved you all along. I look at you now and even though some of our feelings have changed, many haven't. You are still Draco, the boy who had a question for everything because he really wanted to understand my world. You're still confident in everything you do and think. And I know that you'll never change from being the person who holds my hand through the worst of things, assuring me that you'll always be there to help." She spoke without a shred of indecision, which made him grin at her for her unending belief in him.

It was rare for most to trust him, but she had done so all along and never doubted for a moment who he was. Not after they became friends, if anything she put her entire trust solely on him, and it had always felt good to know he was worthy of such an important task.

"I know that not everything will be easy; life was meant to be an adventure. And I know that not everyone will approve or support us, but we don't live to appease them. What we have to face will be something the two of us will do together. I'm not going to let them deter us from this, because I can't imagine not having you beside me.

"Whatever happens, I promise you, I will love you through it all, I will stand with you until the end, and I will never let them tear us apart. You will forever be my best friend, my confidant, my support, and my husband," she finished, smiling up at him as her eyes stared lovingly into his.

Draco's throat closed up with emotion and he held his breath just to be sure he wouldn't let out the shaky cry of appreciation and wonder at her words. To think that when they first agreed to marry they thought it would be a strong friendship that held them together, but now it was coupled with an unimaginable amount of love. He realized his hands were shaking in hers, but she held tightly to them, calming him down and reassuring him. He blinked rapidly, turning his head slightly from the crowd until they cleared and then returned his gaze to hers.

The Minister looked back and forth from each of them, before stepping around the stand to place his palm over their joined hands. "Do you, Draco, take Hermione to be your lawful wedded wife? To cherish her in sickness and in health, for richer for poorer, for better for worse, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto her, for so long as you both shall live?"

Clearing his throat, he hoped it wouldn't come out as quivering as it felt. "I do," he replied clearly, his mouth quirking at one end with a smile.

The Minister repeated the same to Hermione, who replied with an equal response of, "I do," her face brightening as she nodded quickly.

"Do you together promise in the presence of your friends and family that you will at all times and in all circumstances, conduct yourselves toward one another as becomes Husband and Wife?"

"We do," they responded simultaneously.

"Do you together promise you will love, cherish and respect one another throughout the many years to come?" he asked, his gaze staring down at his hand over theirs, a small smile on his mouth.

"We do," they replied, sounding completely sure.

The Minister nodded, lifting their hands, "Place your wedding band on the left ring finger and say as follows..."

Draco took the band that Blaise held out to him, lifting Hermione's hand and slipping the beautiful ring onto her delicate finger. Luna had given her his band at the same time; smiling, she smoothed it onto his awaiting finger. Together, they announced, "With this ring, I thee wed."

Nodding, the Minister lifted his arms up into the air, as if showing them to the world. "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife," he proclaimed. "You may now kiss the bride."

Letting out a happy sigh, Draco lifted the veil from her face, while his free arm wrapped around her waist, holding her close to him as he dipped his face down to meet hers. Their lips met in a sweet, delicate connection. His eyes fell closed almost immediately, while the hand that had lifted her veil came down to wrap around the back of her neck, his fingers slipping into her soft hair. He felt her arms around his neck, one hand clutching the back of his suit coat. When they broke apart for air, his mouth still hovered close to hers. Their eyes stared into one another, both glistening with happiness.

Above them, the sky broke out with fireworks, the stars became exploding colours that lit the sky with an excited flurry. There was faint cheering in the background, drowned out by his attention being solely on her, hearing her quiet breathing, feeling her racing heartbeat, holding her shaking, excited body. "I love you," he whispered, leaning in to press a few short but sweet kisses against her compliant mouth. He heard her breathe the same three words back to him, her hand loosening on his back to move up into his hair.

They were forced to break apart when the people around them wanted to congratulate and embrace them. He kept hold of one of her hands, but they hugged all those that came up to them with their free arm. They were nearly broken apart, but they held on strongly, neither wanting to let go just yet.

Jane was crying almost hysterically, but she assured them they were unbelievably happy tears. Henry's eyes were red-rimmed, but he grinned at them both, nodding and speaking hoarsely of how happy he was for them. Mrs. Weasley was sobbing, holding a white handkerchief to her eyes and rocking Hermione while she hugged her adoringly. Mr. Weasley shook his hand, telling him congratulations and reminding him just how lucky he was to have Hermione for a wife.

Nobody's embrace compared to Hagrid's though, who gathered the both of them up in his large arms, hugging them tightly and crying out about the beauty marriage was. He blubbered through a lot of words, so Draco had no idea what he was saying most of the time, but he patted his back and thanked him for coming all the same. Which resulted in another tight squeeze before McGonagall finally convinced the half-giant to let them down.

Both Dumbledore and McGonagall told them how proud they were that they had married and assured them that they could speak later about what would happen concerning their marriage during the rest of the school year. Draco heard the Transfiguration teacher say, "I told you so," as the two of them departed to let others congratulate the newlyweds, which he couldn't help but laugh at.

He especially liked Andromeda's words to him though as she held on to him in a warm embrace. "I don't care if all the world says its a mistake, what I just witnessed was one of the the most beautiful thing I've seen in my life," she whispered, her voice sounding choked. "If nothing else, then I wish that this world lets you love like this forever."

He was overwhelmed by the excitement that broke out in the room, but both he and Hermione fell into it with warm acceptance. Ron was already calling out for food and Tonks said that they had to share a dance as soon as possible. Mrs. Weasley said that dinner would be best served in another hour, but that there were drinks and small snacks on the table beside the gifts. Tonks came over to ask what song they'd like to dance to and Hermione and Draco went through her CDs.

Worrying her lip, Hermione lifted her "What about--"

"No," he interrupted, shaking his head.

"You don't even know what I was going to say," she replied, her brow lifted.

"I bet it was "For the First Time," by Kenny Loggins," he responded, glancing over at her as he sifted through the CDs.

She stared at him with surprised eyes for a moment, before she frowned. "How'd you know?" she wondered.

Draco shrugged, finally finding the CD he wanted. "This one," he said, nodding.

"Monica?" she asked, trying to hide her amused smile.

"D'you remember last summer?" he asked, pulling out the light blue CD. "You said if you got married, you'd want, "For You I Will," to symbolize your relationship. And it does," he said, handing it to Tonks, who was grinning at them both.

Speechless, Hermione simply stared up at him.

Draco held his hand out to her bending at the waist and acting suave and charming, which she chortled at before slipping her palm into his. They stepped out to the middle of the floor, noticing that everybody had made a half-circle around them, watching as they came together for their first dance as husband and wife.

Draco wrapped his arms around her lower waist, holding her body close against his, while her arms encircled his neck and her chin lifted so her face was staring up at his. They smiled warmly at each other; his hands moved slowly up and down her bare skin. The song reached out to them, asking them to move slowly to the beat.

_When you're feeling lost in the night,  
When you feel your world just ain't right,  
Call on me, I will be waiting,  
Count on me, I will be there..._

He swayed them side to side, noticing that her hips moved to the sound of their own accord. Leaning in close to her, he pressed his cheek against hers, his mouth moving to softly sing the words in her ear, while she sighed against him, her fingers drawing invisible patterns on his neck. Her hair smelled heavenly and he was fairly sure that skin had never felt so soft as his hands explored the turns of her back.

_Anytime the times get too tough,  
Anytime your best ain't enough,  
I'll be the one to make it better,  
_

Hermione's arms tightened around him, her fingers sinking into his hair, leaving a shiver of a tickle running over his neck. She quietly sung back to him, her lips brushing his ear, her breath sending warm sensations down his spine. His fingers pressed lightly into her back, as if trying to bring her nearer even though it was quite impossible. There was hardly a breath between them and yet all he wanted was to bring her closer to him.

_I'll be there to protect you,  
See you through,  
I'll be there and there ain't nothing,  
I won't do_

Kissing the side of her cheek, he trailed down to brush his lips against her neck, resting his chin on her shoulder for a moment. One of her arms fell, slipping to wrap around his side and press into his back, her hand balling the fabric up just slightly. One of Draco's hands left her back to smooth his palms out over the length of her arm up around his neck, slow and gentle, his fingers wrapped around her delicate wrist, thumbs brushing the pulse point with a featherlight touch.

_I will cross the ocean for you,  
I will go and bring you the moon,  
I will be your hero, your strength,  
Anything you need,  
I will be the sun in your sky,  
I will light your way for all time,  
I promise you, For you I will_

Hermione noticed they were making circles around the floor, her eyes washed briefly over the crowd of people before closing as she absorbed Draco. He laced their fingers together before bringing their hands down and placing her palm against his chest, moving his down her arm until he moved it over the bare turn of her shoulder, trailing down her side to rest of her hip.

He moved his other hand to take hers from his back, and before she knew it he was twirling her around. She smiled brightly, feeling her dress twist around her as they danced. When he stopped turning her, she had her back against his chest, his arms coming around from beneath hers. She smiled at the warm tingle that ran across her skin as she sunk pleasantly into the warmth of his chest behind her.

_I will shield your heart from the rain,  
I will let no harm come your way,  
Oh, these arms will be your shelter,  
No, these arms won't let you down,  
If there is a mountain to move,  
I will move that mountain for you_

Draco placed his face beside hers, his hands running over the curve of her body before settling over her midriff. Her hands covered his, their fingers lacing on top. He squeezed her briefly, the strength of his arms reminded her of the safety he promised. Her hands moved up, wrapping up backwards around his neck, while she turned her face to look at him. He half-smirked, pressing a kiss against her forehead and then trailing down to embrace her mouth lightly.

_I'm here for you, I'm here forever,  
I will be your fortress, Tall and strong,  
I'll keep you safe, I'll stand beside you,  
Right or wrong..._

His hands broke apart, one moving up the center of her torso to rest just above her ribs, his fingers splayed out against the soft white fabric she was dressed in. His other hand moved slowly across her abdomen before finally cupping her hip, his thumb rubbing over the dress briefly, moving it around. He felt her lips against the line of his jaw and grinned down at her, feeling a warmth fill his chest.

_For you I will... lay my life on the line,  
For you I will fight, For you I will die,  
With ev'ry breath, with all my soul,  
I'll give my word, I'll give it all,  
Put your faith in me, (Put your faith in me)  
And I'll do anything_

Running his hands up her arms, he took her hands, bringing them down in front of him, before letting one go and placing his palm on her hip. He twirled her out, grinning at her surprised smile, before pulling her back in, catching her on his side and cradling her against his chest. They swayed together, the train of her dress twisted around her legs. He dipped her down towards the floor, smiling at her amused smile before he pulled her back up, pressing his lips against hers. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she returned the affectionate kiss.

_I promise you, For you I will (I will),  
I promise you, For you I will_

The last strands of the song played out, while Hermione and Draco swayed closed together, oblivious to those around around them. He didn't take notice of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley who affectionately rocked back and forth together, speaking quietly of their own wedding. Or Lupin taking Tonks hand and leading her off to the side to talk privately, his arms around her comfortably. He took no notice of Luna and Harry holding hands and sneaking glances at each other. Or Jane and Henry holding one another as they watched her daughter dance with the boy who had become like a son-in-law to them from day one.

As the song ended, a new CD was put in and everybody filled the area to dance around Draco and Hermione. Henry snuck his daughter away from Draco for a dance and Jane came over with her arms open and an expectant smile on her face. Unable to turn her down, he gladly took one of her hands and held it in the air as they danced around to the slow song on the stereo. She gushed about how beautiful everything looked and how wonderful their vows were to each other. He was pretty sure she was about to start crying soon, but she managed to squelch that before she broke out in her happy sobs.

Before he knew it, he had danced with every female in the house and Hermione had a dance with each male. Luna was the most entertaining, as she regaled him with stories having to do with what happened while she and Blaise shared the Head Tower during Draco and Hermione's time away.

"He had this body clock thing where he'd wake up at exactly 7:40 and take a shower, which I had no idea about. So when I woke up, I thought I was nearly late. The sound of him singing woke me and I ran into the bathroom to get ready quickly. Of course, Beezy had no idea I was there so he just kept singing, louder and louder. When I realized what song it was, I sang with him. Scared him so bad, he slipped in the shower and took the curtain down with him. He wasn't hurt, but I believe he was embarrassed. I've never seen anybody that red before, not even Ronald," she told him, a hazy smile on her face.

Draco laughed uproariously, finding the thought to be hilarious. He could just see Luna singing absently in the mirror as she tried to brush her hair and poor oblivious Blaise standing in the shower, singing at the top of his lungs. The shock of hearing somebody else when he thought nobody was there had to be really quite scary. But Draco still found it too funny to feel bad for the chap, as the idea of his best friend being redder than tomato, sprawled out on the bottom of a shower with nothing but a curtain to cover him, was just too amusing not to laugh at.

Blaise came by, dancing with Jane, and stared suspiciously at Draco and Luna. "Y'didn't tell him fireplace story, did you?" he asked, worriedly.

Shaking her head, she smiled at him. "No, the shower one. But now that you've reminded me..."

Groaning, Blaise shook his head, glaring at the blonde Ravenclaw. "Lu-Lu, if you could possibly refrain from telling any more stories that involve me, I'd really appreciate it," he grumbled.

"Did you know that the Quoiri Tribe of Northern Albania thought that the telling of ones most embarrassing moments ensured that the person would never do the same again?" Luna replied. "I guess it doesn't work since _I'm_ telling _your_ stories, but..." Turning to Draco, she shrugged. "It was nearly midnight and Beezy here fell asleep beside the fireplace," she began, smiling.

For nearly an hour, Draco was entertained with conversation from everybody around him and a lighthearted feel settled over him. He found that his eyes no longer wanted to travel off in search of the safety he wasn't sure they possessed. He let himself relax and enjoy his wedding day, rather than let Lucius get to him without even being around. It was his and Hermione's day and he didn't want to ruin it by being worried through it all.

Before he knew it, Mrs. Weasley was telling everybody to file into the dining room for dinner. He felt a hand slip into his and turned to smile at his wife, who leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder as their guests disbanded from their conversations to walk through the front hall and across the living room, into the kitchen to take their seats at the table.

A wide array of food was placed out on the table, including a large turkey, a roast, and a ham for variety. There were bowls containing stuffing, mash, cranberries, green salad, yams, beets, gravy, butter, and sweet potatoes. Various side platters containing crackers, cheese, meats, vegetables, and dip covered the table too. It was a feast of enormous proportions, and looking at the many people sitting down, Draco was sure it would not go to waste.

"Are we going to eat first or say our speeches?" Blaise called out, holding a cold mug of Butterbeer in his hand.

"That depends, are you and Ron still planning on getting completely pissed during dinner?" Draco asked, taking his seat at the head of the table, Hermione beside him with a lifted brow.

"Of course," Blaise replied, jovially. "What kind of wedding would it be if the best man didn't have a few drinks?"

"A well managed wedding sans vomit and slurred spiels about nothing in particular," Hermione replied, partly frowning and half-smiling.

"Tosh, that's complete rubbish and you know it," Blaise replied, grinning. "Now, I think, just to be safe, I should take this moment to say my speech. 'Cause we all know I won't last through dinner," he said, shrugging easily. He cast a suspicious glance at Dumbledore and McGonagall, the latter of which was frowning. "Not that I take part in any activities unbecoming of a Hogwarts student, of course," he added, looking less innocent than Ron who was holding a flask of Firewhiskey and staring with wide eyes and hunched shoulders at his mother.

"It's quite all right, Mr. Zabini," the Headmaster assured. "After all, this is a wedding and your Christmas break. I cannot and will not condemn you for any actions you show tonight."

"Brilliant," Blaise replied, standing from his seat and smoothing his hand over his tie. "Well, for all those who don't know me, I'm Blaise Zabini, the very handsome, charming, hilarious, and intelligent best mate of both Hermione and Draco, which is why I was given the very regal title of best man," he announced, holding up his mug to them all. "I've known Draco since he was a bloody annoying tyke who _always_ stole my best toys. And I've known Princess here since she and Draco came out about their friendship," he explained, nodding.

"I could go on and on about how its great to see Draco finally settle down because he was such a flirt, but I'd be lying. In all honesty, the bloke has only had eyes for Hermione since he was 'bout fourteen. Which is saying something because frankly, I've been known to be attractive to many the female who crossed my path, but I couldn't get a second look with him around," he said with faux-bitterness.

"I can certainly say that Princess has been the best influence on him over the years and without her, I can't say that Draco would've turned out to be the guy he is now. Which is still quite cocky really, but I guess we can't lecture everything out of him," he told them with a shrug and a chuckle.

Turning, he faced his two best friends. "It took me awhile to write this speech, and I'll admit I took a short break for a couple cold ones with Harry and Ron. But after I woke up and took something for the ringing in my head, I had an epiphany of sorts," he exclaimed, grinning.

"Princess," he said softly, lifting his mug out to her, "You are one of the most incredible girls I've ever had a chance to know. You're beautiful, intelligent, and you stand up for everything that means something to you. Part of me wants to tell you that you are too good for this bloke here, but I'd be lying to the room if I did. You have one of the best chaps I've ever known by your side, and together I know that you two will accomplish great things. I hope to be there with you both, basking in the friendship you have so grandly given me. You're a friend that I wouldn't trade for anything, Hermione, and I wish you every happiness."

Hermione squeezed Draco's hand beneath the table, lifting her free on to wipe at her eyes as she smiled warmly at her friend. "Thank you," she replied, her voice shaky.

He nodded, before turning to Draco. "D," he started, grinning widely. "We've been through a lot throughout our lives. I'll admit that I didn't really get to know you until this past month though, and I regret that it happened so late.

"I admire your courage in everything that has happened and all that is to come. I admire the friendship and love you have with Hermione, and I hope one day I'll find the same for myself. And I admire the strength you've shown the rest of us, the ability to stand true to your beliefs no matter the consequences, and the hard work you've put into creating a real life for you and Hermione, together.

"You have a brilliant wife, a caring family, and the best friends you could ask for. I'll be here to support you through it all, no matter what stands in the way."

Draco, unsure how to respond to such a heartfelt speech, nodded at his best friend, a half-smile on his face as he realized just how supportive Blaise really was. It must've taken a lot to say congratulations to the man who married the girl he was in love with. But he put that aside and praised his best friends on their nuptials, which meant a lot.

Lifting his Butterbeer and returning his gaze to the people at the table, Blaise grinned. "To Hermione and Draco, the strength, the courage, and most of all, the love that stands behind creating a new world, a better world. To overcoming adversity and allowing love to speak louder than hate. The new Mr. and Mrs. Draco Malfoy."

"Here, here," someone replied, loudly, and the group of people cheered happily for the newlyweds.

Most everyone had been polite enough not to eat while Blaise spoke, but Ron could be seen chewing in what he thought was an inconspicuous manner and trying to speak through his mouthful of ham. Draco ignored the action but he could see his wife frowning at him and rolling her eyes at his behavior. For his part, Ron blushed at his own actions and swallowed the food, wiping his face with his napkin and doing his best to leave the food alone from then on.

When everything had quieted down, Luna rose from her seat, holding a glass of iced tea in her grasp. "Well," she began, inhaling deeply, "I've known Hermione since about fifth year, where she believed me to be a little loony and didn't believe a word I said concerning everything my father writes in the Quibbler. I don't think we really got to be good friends until everything with Draco and Hermione's friendship came about. Which I must admit I was grateful for, because it gave me three of the best friends I've ever had," she announced, her eyes clear of the haze and her words genuinely sweet. She glanced at Blaise, letting him know he was the third, to which he smirked proudly.

"I had some reservations about the wedding, what with the possibility of Chapel Moths, nargles, Belmonty Arch mice, Phlarbant Ogles, and various other creatures that attack during marital unions. But," she said with a happy sigh, "I was very happy to see that everything came through brilliantly. If anybody deserves it, it's the both of you."

Lifting her glass, she tipped her head, smiling at them. "You have come through a lot this past month and though I have been worried, I have to admit that I never doubted that the love you possess for each other would help you through."

Hey eyes raised and a smile formed, "Y'know, the Trikale Bundar, native to the Dark Woods of Eastern Europe, are a species known to have survived through climate change, destruction of its original homeland, and larger creatures feeding on it for eons. Those who've studied them say that the reason they lived so long was because they stuck with one mate who constantly stood to help them through. When they fell, their mate caught them, when they were tired, their mate carried them, and when they were in danger, their mate saved them. Like the Trikale Bundar, the both of you have a bond that I think will help you through it all," she said, grinning with a sigh.

Her eyes widened then and she lifted her hand higher as if to share another point. "Oh, but do look out for Callderacks, they tend to sleep in the marital bed until its been--"

"Luna, dear, I'm sure they know all about Caller-what-ums," Harry interrupted, noticing the look of embarrassment that was crossing Draco and Hermione's faces and catching the strain of conversation before it got worse.

"All right Harry, if you say so," she replied, shrugging. "Well, to Hermione and Draco, may you forever hold this bond with each other," she cheered, before taking a sip of her iced tea and sitting down on her chair beside the raven haired Boy-Who-Lived.

"Thank you," Draco told her, half-smiling. "That was both educational and nice of you to say. I'll keep an eye out for Callderacks," he assured, winking.

"What are all those creatures she talked about?" Jane asked, her hand lifting to tug at her earrings uncomfortably. "There won't be any problems will there?" she asked, worriedly.

"No," Draco assured, before Luna could launch into a full fledged explanation. "There have been no sightings and I'm pretty sure we're fine," he told them, running his hand through his hair for a moment.

"Draco's right," Hermione told her mother. "In fact, I think Blaise looked around for those things Luna mentioned and he said they were nowhere to be found. Even put out a few traps to catch various ones just in case." She glanced at her handsome friend who looked amused but otherwise unaffected.

"Oh yeah, I went around the whole house looking for them. Not a one anywhere," he said with a wink.

"Really?" Luna asked, interestedly. "So you put out mice traps with grapes and hung green beans from the ceiling for the Arch Mice and Phlarbant Ogles?" she wondered.

Blaise stared at her a moment, his face blank. "Yep," he lied, finally. "I also put charms on them so you can't see them," he added, just to be sure she didn't go looking for them. "Special ones. I'm the only one who can take them off."

"Hmm," she said, her eyes turning off and glazing as she fell into her thoughts.

Chuckling, Draco shook his head at her, before returning his attention to his mother-in-law. "See, everything is fine," he told her, nodding.

"Good," she replied, her gaze landing on Luna for a moment, as if unsure about the girls sanity. Finally a smile settled over her lips and she returned her excitement to her daughter and son-in-law.

Draco thought that would be the last of the speeches, but he was surprised to see Ron stand up, looking a little embarrassed and uncomfortable but he didn't appear to be backing down from making a point. "All right, well I don't have much to say," he began, clearing his throat. "I'm one of Hermione's best mate's and well, Malfoy... isn't such a pain in the arse lately," he said candidly.

"I didn't write anything out, which I'm sure 'Mione isn't surprised about, and I definitely didn't memorize any information on animals and their mates. But I have spent the last three days with you two and even though I really didn't want to admit it, I guess I have to."

Sighing, he lifted his large mug of what Draco was sure wasn't only Butterbeer. "While I always thought 'Mione would end up with some brilliant wizard who stood up for house elves or some rot like that, who she ended up with was really not my first choice." He snorted to make a point and Draco rolled his eyes, frowning at the boy in front of him. "However," he said, resigned, "she is with someone I know she loves and who... loves her back," he admitted, sounding as if it took a lot.

"So, I just want to give my best to both of you and I hope you have a brilliant marriage," he told them, half-grinning.

Draco nodded, holding his hand out to shake Ron's, which he wasn't sure the red head would take, but Weasley didn't appear appalled at all, instead taking the offered hand with gusto and shaking it vigorously. "Treat 'er right, Mal--" Clearing his throat, he sighed. "Draco," he corrected.

Another burst of applause and appreciation went out for a speech, but they weren't done there. Harry Potter himself decided he had something to say and raised from his chair, his hands free of any drink and instead clasped behind his back. "Well, I've known Hermione since my first day of Hogwarts but I didn't really get the chance to enjoy her friendship until Halloween," he started, his voice rather low. "Uh, I've known Draco for just as long, but he's only become a whole lot easier to get along with in the last month," he said with a smirk.

"To be honest, when it came out that they were friends I couldn't think of two more different people to have had a secret relationship. He _appeared_ to be everything she loathed and the same goes for her in his respect. I couldn't see why or how or even _what_ they really were," he announced in a voice that begged for listening.

"It wasn't even until I saw that he was willing to die saying he was her friend, that she was important to him, even if lying and saying the opposite would save him. When he had been attacked by nine of the boys who had previously feared him and looked up to him, only to prove to them that loyalty was more important than power or blood purity," he told them, his voice sounding almost awed.

"And when I saw how tirelessly Hermione worked to find a way to save him when everything blew up in their faces. How willing she was to be the one to take his life if it meant he wouldn't be killing others, and how sure she was that her own life would have to end too for her to feel right about things, it all made sense." He sighed, shaking his head.

"I've been told about love, I've been loved. My parents, Sirius, my friends, people who support my stance in this war, and various educators. But when I look at them, I see the kind of love that I think will be needed to defeat what is coming. A true love, a lasting love, and a love that will overcome all that it comes to face in the future," he said, turning to half-grin at Hermione and a surprised but glad Draco.

"So I wish you both the best in your lives, marriage, and in this love you share. To you," he said, nodding.

Teary eyed, Hermione stood up, reaching out to hug him over the table, mumbling things that Draco was sure nobody could understand. Harry patted her back, whispering a reassuring word in her ear before pulling back, kissing her forehead, and taking his seat.

"Oi, where's my hug?" Ron grumbled, frowning.

Chortling, Hermione rolled her eyes, leaning down to hug him warmly too. "Thank you both," she told them, her voice shaky and emotional. "It means so much to us."

After letting her best mate go, she resumed her seat beside Draco, taking his hand and squeezing it tightly. He knew how much it meant to her to know that her friends approved. Just that they had come had made her happy, but that they were willing to admit that she was with the right bloke, meant a lot more than she could say.

A cleared throat was heard and then Henry stood from his chair. "I've heard a lot of wonderful things said about Draco and Hermione tonight," he said, his voice carrying around to those who sat waiting for his speech. "Jane and I have known Draco since he was fourteen and when he first arrived, I remember my wife saying that he was _the _boy. I had no idea what she was yammering on about, but after awhile it became very clear," he said, nodding. "Y'see, when I looked at Draco back then, I saw this boy who didn't understand anything except what he'd been taught, but was willing to learn. A boy who had questions about every little thing and really lived life to its fullest when he was given the chance. But he held such innocence when he first arrived that he felt much younger than he was."

Inhaling deeply, he smiled briefly. "I've never seen closer friends than Draco and Hermione. Over the summers they spent together, they were more than inseparable, they were like one person. They taught each other about life and learned from one another how to become more confident and happy with the way things are. They relied on each other for most everything and created a bond that is still, to this day, immeasurable."

Shaking his head, he swallowed. "I thought that the day my daughter brought home _the_ boy, I would dislike him on spot. I would want nothing more than to scare the bloke so bad he never thought her name without shaking. But I hadn't expected Draco to be who she fell in love with, who she married, and I couldn't be happier that he is."

Lifting his glass of red wine, he held it out to the freshly married couple. "Draco, you once said that you wanted a marriage like my and Jane's, but I can already see that what you and Hermione have is different. I don't want you to base it off of us, but create a life with her that you both deserve and will enjoy. I have no doubts that the two of you will be together the rest of your lives and while it will come with many bumps and stumbles across the way, you two have it in you to get through. All our blessings," he announced, grinning.

Draco felt his heart speed up, truly touched at what his father-in-law had said. He was also quite enjoying calling them his parents-in-law, at least in his head. He tipped his head in thanks, unable to put together the words of thanks he wanted them to know. He could tell by their expressions that they weren't expecting any grand gesture of appreciation, just that he and Hermione were happy was enough.

"Well," Dumbledore said, standing up. "It'll be terribly hard for me to say anything that hasn't already been said," he told them all with a small smile. "We from the Order send out our congratulations and our support in helping you through what may come in the future. It's relationships and bonds like yours that remind us that change is possible and coming whether people like it or not." Bobbing his head in agreeance, he looked down at McGonagall for a moment.

"Minerva told me that she had always known the two of you had something special, I thought she meant that your fighting could rival that of civil War proportions, but she could see what even I could not. Draco, Hermione, you are two of my most prized students and I can't praise enough about how proud you make me and those around you.

"I can tell, now that Minerva has opened my eyes, that the both of you share something far greater than most outsiders will first comprehend. Understand that it will take _time_ for people to truly come to see how beautiful a relationship like yours is, but I trust that one day it will become clear to all.

"From the staff of Hogwarts, the Order of the Phoenix, and all those that strive for a better world, we send our most grand of congratulations and hope all the best for you in years to come," he told them, nodding his grey head and staring at them with his wise, twinkling blue eyes.

"Thank you, sir," they replied simultaneously, turning to each other to smile briefly.

"Well, if that's all, then dinner--" Molly began.

"Dobby has something to say," the small house-elf exclaimed, hopping on his chair with vigor. "If yous is okay with that," he corrected himself, looking at Draco and Hermione with hope.

"Of course Dobby, go ahead," Hermione encouraged, nodding at him.

Dobby's ears flopped excitedly before he held his arms up high in the air. "Dobby must first congratulate master Draco and miss Hermione as Dobby always knew that theys loved each other. Dobby told them long time back that they would make great couple and Dobby was right. I's always knew that yous would marry and stop pretending yous was only friends. So, Dobby just want to tell Draco and his miss that Dobby very happy for you both!"

"Thank you," Hermione responded, her mouth breaking out in a warm smile as he nodded before taking his seat.

"Now can we eat?" Ron whined hopefully.

Laughing, Draco looked around, finally seeing that nobody else had anything to say. "All right then, have at it," he said, motioning for Ron to dig into the delicious dinner in front of him. He openly praised Mrs. Weasley on making such a delectable set of food.

The table broke out in conversation, more prominent was Henry sharing hilarious stories about Draco and Hermione as they grew up over the summers. Draco listened in until he was sure he would fall apart from embarrassment at hearing many of their past antics. Bowls and platters were passed around until everybody had tried a little of everything. It wasn't long before Draco was feeling so full he wasn't sure how people were still getting through. Even Ron looked like he was about ready to burst at any moment.

However, even though people were now only picking at their plates, they happily continued on in conversation as they sat around the table. At the other end, McGonagall and Dumbledore were sharing some of Draco and Hermione's more memorable fights with the rest of the people at the table. To his left, Blaise and Ron were discussing having a game of Quidditch at the Burrow the next afternoon and to his right Harry and Luna were quietly conversing about various things. From creatures to Quidditch, Luna had no trouble voicing an opinion on anything Harry was willing to discuss, which appeared to be just about everything as long as he could continue talking to the quirky blonde.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" Hermione whispered to him. She was pressed up against his side, her head against his shoulder as she stared out at their guests. "People of all kinds here together, all because they wanted to share in our day," she explained. Her hand found his, lacing together; he could feel her wedding band press against his finger, making him smile.

Tipping his head, he rested it against hers. "How long do you think it'll be until Ron asks about the cake?" he asked her, his voice quiet enough only for her to hear.

"Well, he's only been nibbling for the last half hour, I'd say ten or fifteen more minutes," she decided, and he was sure she was trying to calculate it in her head.

"I give it five," he replied, smirking. "How much Firewhiskey d'you think Blaise has had?" he wondered, his eyes venturing over to his soused best mate.

"Hmm..." She paused, probably taking in his appearance before she decided. "Well, Ron is on what must be his sixth Butterbeer and he's been sharing with Blaise the entire time. So... I'd say a lot. Probably not more than he had last night, but still a good amount," she deduced. "In fact, if he isn't cut off soon, he won't be able to apparate home tonight."

"Right you are," Draco agreed, glancing at his friend from the corner of his eye. "B," he called, his brow lifting slowly. "There's some great Iced Tea over by Luna, why don't you give it a try," he offered, and though it was phrased as a question, it came out as an order of kinds.

Blaise stared at him a moment before apparently weighing out whether he was getting too pissed for his own good. Finally, he shrugged. "Sounds good to me, mate," he replied, looking over to Luna and nodding at her to pass the beverage over. "Eh Ron, I bet I can drink my mug of tea before you can," he challenged, before winking at Draco to tell him he had cut the ginger-haired boy off too.

"You're on," Ron replied, holding his mug out to be filled with the brown liquid. "After this, we should have cake, eh?!" he called out, looking over at Hermione hopefully.

Snorting, she shook her head. "All right," she agreed, nodding. "If everybody else is interested," she said a little louder, asking those around her.

"Oh I saw the cake, it's beautiful," Mrs. Weasley cooed, looking delighted.

"When will you be tossing the bouquet?" Tonks asked, her tone excited though she was trying in vain to hide it.

Hermione smiled at her knowingly, "After cake sounds good," she replied, nodding.

"Wonderful," Jane announced, tipping her glass of wine back. "I wouldn't mind a second wedding. How 'bout you Henry? Think about the honeymoon darling," she said, winking. That seemed to bring about a reminder of something she needed to say to Draco and Hermione because she turned abruptly to them.

"Oh and then we'll be out of your hairs dears. I know how it can be on a night like this where all you really want is some time alone after awhile. And it's a special night, not just in the--" She was slurring mildly and obviously about to fall into another conversation concerning sex, which reminded him painfully not only of her previous attempts that day but of when he was younger and she pulled both him and Hermione into the kitchen for The Talk.

"Jane darling, I think you've had enough wine," Henry interrupted.

"Oh," she said, giggling. "Have I?" she wondered, looking over at her glass with curiosity. "I'm just so happy," she told him, tearing up again.

"I know dear," he replied, taking her hand and kissing her temple.

Hermione rose from her chair, her hand begging Draco to do the same. "Well, how about we bring out the cake then?" she asked cheerfully.

"I'll get it dear," Mrs. Weasley assured, rising from her seat and hurrying into the kitchen. "Ronald, Harry, Blaise, you boys clear the table," she told them, her voice stern.

"Yes mum," Ron said, while huffing as he stood on rather shaky feet. The three boys magicked everything into stacks and hovered them into the kitchen, where they then put a cleaning spell on them and left them to be worked over in the sink. Coming back in, they brought plates forks and a triangular knife for the cake.

Mrs. Weasley entered with the beautiful white dessert hovering before her and tears in her eyes. It was placed down in front of them and there was a collection of wowed words exchanged at how beautiful it was. It was four thick tiers of various sized box shaped confections at different angles, stacked directly on top of each other. While the bottom appeared to be a square, the second was like a diamond sitting so its corner was centered with the side of the bottom. The next two tiers did the same, creating a beautiful, angular cake.

The outside was a creamy white, looking completely perfect and void of any possible faults. It appeared as if small, white pearls sat around the edges of each tier, but it was really a ball of icing placed in meticulous order. Dark red flowers with green leaves were made of icing and placed on the corners of each tier, looking real and elegant.

And on the very fourth layer was a topper made of glass in the shape of a glimmering star. A clear bride and groom sat on one corner of the star, his arm around her shoulders and their feet dangling over the edge. Numerous strings of peals trail from the opposite arm creating the shooting star effect. It was dazzling atop the already incredible creation.

Draco's arm slipped around Hermione's waist as they stood in front of the cake. He picked up the knife to cut off a piece for them to share and slid it on a plate. Hermione turned to him smiling as she broke off a chunk with her hand; Draco followed her actions and held his piece up to her supple mouth as she lifted hers to do the same. He slid the delicious dessert into her mouth but made sure to smear the white icing across her lips. Her fingers held the vanilla cake up as his mouth wrapped around it, kissing her fingertips as they pulled back. He leaned in to kiss away the icing on her lips while she chuckled against his mouth, still chewing her cake. The guests cheered and Ron hurriedly jumped to the front of the line for a piece of cake.

After everyone had taken their piece, they walked around talking amongst themselves. Draco sat on a chair by the side door, letting some of the air in as it was feeling a little warm. He tugged his tie open and removed his jacket, letting the air cool his warm skin.

He could hear music coming from the den and knew Tonks and Remus were off dancing alone. He could see Mr. Weasley having a conversation with Henry who had his sleeping wife leaning against him. Mrs. Weasley was talking with McGonagall and Dumbledore in the living room, the Headmaster seemed to enjoy the cake greatly as he looked to be savoring every sweet bite.

Blaise and Ron were having an eating contest, hands behind their back, who could eat their piece of cake the fastest, which Draco couldn't help but laugh at. Luna and Harry were standing judge, holding hands and grinning at the actions of their friends.

The Minister had bid goodbye shortly after dinner, stating that he and his wife were too old to be around too late. He wished them well and was escorted to the apparating point by one of the guards Lupin had outside.

Andromeda was nowhere to be seen, but Draco was sure she was off thinking by herself about her sister and what it would've been like had Narcissa been there. He knew his aunt was putting on a brave face but it was obvious she was very scared about the welfare of her sister. Draco too was worried about what happened to his mother, though he tried his best to block it out. He had a feeling that she was alive, which didn't mean she wasn't harmed, just surviving. It bothered him that he really couldn't do anything to find her, but Dumbledore and Lupin had both told him that he needed to focus on other things while they figured out where she was.

Hermione moved in his lap, lifting another piece of cake to his lips and nudging his neck with her nose to alert him that her hand was there. He smiled before taking the bite and licking the icing from her fingers. "I feel like this day has lasted a week," she told him, quietly. "A wonderful, incredible, blissful day, but..."

"I know," he replied, turning to her and raising the last piece of their slice of cake to her mouth. "I can't wait to get you upstairs too," he said, grinning.

Laughing, she wrapped her lips around the chunk of cake and turned her chin up to kiss him lightly. After she pulled back, he licked the sweet remnants from his lips and leaned back in the chair, his arms wrapping around her waist a little more tightly.

"Are you scared?" she asked, softly, snuggling her face into his shoulder.

"About tonight or the rest of our lives?" he asked, glancing down at her and running his fingers up and down the soft fabric over her stomach.

"Both," she breathed, her fingers tangling with his.

"Yes," he replied, honestly. Squeezing her, he sighed. "We're going to be fine though. Especially tonight," he said, grinning.

Lifting her head from his shoulder, she stared down at him with an amused smirk. "You realize that now we'll really know if all that sex god talk was just that; talk, or if you're the real deal," she reminded, her brow lifting. "Are you sure you have it in you?" she asked, licking her lips.

"I _know_ I have it in me." Sighing exaggeratedly, he tsked. "I'm just going to have to prove it to you. Over and over and over again," he said, a grin forming on his face.

"Well, I look forward to it, but you know you remind me terribly of a man who tried to seduce me while we swam naked in a pool a few days ago," she said, her brow cocking as she stared at him with faux-incredulity.

"Really? Y'know I heard he got married recently," Draco replied, smiling.

"Oh?" she responded, her eyes turning up as if in thought. "Well, lucky girl."

"Mm, lucky bloke," Draco told her, his mouth meeting hers in a slow, sensuous kiss.

"Time to throw the flowers," Tonks called out, excitedly. "Before everybody falls asleep!"

Chuckling, Hermione broke apart from her husband, sighing as she stood up. "All right, all right, take your places ladies," she exclaimed. They crossed into the den where Hermione stood up at the altar and the women collected where the seat had previously been. "Ron, get out of there," she told him, shaking her head at his antics as he stood between his mother and Andromeda. Grumbling, he made his way back over to the group of men who were snickering.

Blaise laughed, "I told you she'd kick you out of the toss," he told him, shaking his head.

"Shut up, I bet you Luna catches it," the red head challenged.

"No way, I think McGonagall's got it in the bag," Blaise replied, crossing his arms.

"You're both wrong, its Tonks," Harry got in, nodding over at the women standing in the den all cluttered together and looking excited. Henry had woken his wife, who was now wide awake and standing with the rest, albeit a little more unsteady on her feet.

Hermione looked over her shoulder at everyone before readying herself and throwing the pink and purple bouquet as far back as she could. She turned to watch it sail through the air and land amongst the excited, shrieking women. Draco's head pulled back in surprise as he watched Professor McGonagall jump high up and make a grab for it with enthusiasm. She didn't catch it however and Luna was distracted by something up above her, so she was out of the toss too. Andromeda was bumped out of the way by Tonks who had been shoved accidentally by Mrs. Weasely. And then the bundle of flowers landed perfectly in Tonks outstretched hands, making her cry out happily before she ran over and hopped into Remus' arms, whooping at her achievement.

Draco walked over, wrapping his arms around Hermione and chuckling quietly at the women who now disbanded. He rested his chin on her shoulder and inhaled her sweet scent as she melted back against him, her head lolling on his shoulder comfortably.

"Well, it's getting late," Mr. Weasley announced, looking around. "Ron, Luna, Harry, Molly, I think its time we headed back. Merlin knows what Fred and George have put Ginny through all evening," he said, sighing. He turned to Draco and Hermione, crossing the den with his hand outstretched. He shook both their hands jovially and wished them more congratulations before standing off to the side for his family and guest.

Draco and Hermione hugged each of them, thanking them for coming and promising to get hold of them soon. Hermione hugged Harry, Ron, and Luna extra tight, thanking them tearfully for coming.

Andromeda came by next, embracing them both but excusing herself as it was getting late and she wasn't used to being through such an eventful day in a long time. She once again reminded them of how beautiful everything had been and took her leave, taking the car with the Weasley's, Harry, and Luna.

After McGonagall and Dumbledore wished them the best and bid them goodbye, they promised to get a hold of them soon to talk about school. Hagrid came over to pick them up in another bone crushing hug and wished them the best with everything. He announced loudly that everything was beautiful and that he'd really enjoyed dancing and the food was great. He seemed to go on for a great while, and Draco was sure his neck would be hurting for some time from all of his courteous nodding. Finally, he said goodbye and left with the other two professors.

Dobby came over, looking happy to see them but sad to go. He told them he left them a gift on the table, which wasn't hard to decipher as it was wrapped in various pieces of fabric sewn together. He cried happily as he shook their hands and Hermione kissed his cheek. They thanked him for coming and said goodbye as he bowed and disappeared with a snap of his fingers.

Henry was holding a half asleep Jane in his arms as he walked over to them. "I'll be seeing you both in the morning, I'm sure not until later. Jane and I are both beat, so I'm sure we'll be in the guest house until late tomorrow afternoon. I know I've been saying it all night, but I can't tell you enough how glad I am about what transpired tonight. The ceremony was beautiful and you both look wonderful." His wife gurgled something and he chuckled to himself. "I'm sure she says the same." He shrugged apologetically. "You know how she gets after a couple glasses of wine."

"It's all right," Draco assured, nodding.

"Have a good night you two," he bid, holding his wife up as he made his way to the guest house door beside the fireplace in the den.

Draco sighed, looking around at the nearly empty room. "Nearly alone," he told her, his hand running up and down her side.

Blaise appeared in front of them, a plate of cake in his hand.

"More?" Draco asked, surprised. "I know you and Ron are getting along lately but now you're starting to eat like him!"

Chortling, Blaise shook his head. "Nah, I thought I'd bring my sister a piece," he explained. "I couldn't eat anymore, believe me."

"So you're off then?" Hermione asked, looking up at him sadly.

"Don't worry Princess, I'll be back in a couple days. Leave you two some time to enjoy the bliss of being married and then I'll come in and rescue you from his annoying habits," he told her, wiggling his eyebrows.

"How do you know _I_ won't be the one needing saving?" Draco replied, cocking his brow.

Hermione rolled her eyes, knocking her elbow playfully into his gut. "I hope your sister doesn't mind that we stole you away on Christmas," she said to Blaise.

"Well she thinks I'm doing important stand-in Headboy stuff, so she can't say anything. I've missed her a lot lately though, so I'm happy to be seeing her." He checked the time and hissed. "The apparition wards are going to lock me out if I don't get going though, so..." He held his arms open for a hug, smiling as Hermione moved in to embrace him tightly.

"I'm so happy you were here," she told him, squeezing him warmly.

"Me too, Princess," he replied, grinning up at Draco. "You may not have picked the most handsome Slytherin, but you did pick the right one," he told her, winking.

Chuckling, she pulled back, smiling up at him. "Well, I guess I'll have to do then."

Rolling his eyes, Draco shook his head, wrapping his arm around Hermione's shoulders, feeling as if he needed to be touching her at all times. Blaise nodded at them both, making an exaggerated regal bow and finally walking off to the door to take the car out to the apparition point where the guard was waiting.

"All right then, Tonks, lets do our house rounds, shall we?" Remus announced, making sure to glance at the newlyweds as if trying to tell them he was giving them free reign to go off to bed without it being awkward. They walked off hand-in-hand, Tonks going on about the bouquet as she left.

Hermione let out a long, happy sigh. "Well, Mr. Malfoy, I believe its time for bed," she said, looking up at him with somewhat worried, but overall excited eyes.

"I think you're right, Mrs. Malfoy," he replied, chuckling to himself. "I'd carry you up the stairs but there're too many," he said, shrugging. "Threshold would be more romantic anyway, don't you think?" he asked, smirking.

"I think I can handle the stairs," she replied, nodding. "But if I get a stitch in my side you'll have to take one for the team and carry me," she told him, shrugging.

"We'll walk slow then," he responded, taking her hand and directing them toward the tall, elegant staircase.

"Draco," she said as they ascended to the second floor.

"Yeah?" he asked, turning to her.

"I love you," she told him simply.

Smiling, he nodded. "I love you too."

* * *

**A/N** _It's terribly late and I'm practically falling asleep, so this will be short. I really wanted to get this chapter out, it took a LOT of work. Classical music got me through my writer's block for this chapter, so I hope it's up to your standards. There will be a love scene next chapter, which will NOT be overly explicit. I tend to write more emotional love scenes than NC-17 stuff. Those of you who've read BITTT know what I mean, I'm sure. I'm off though, I can hardly keep my eyes open. Thank you all for reading, please review. I'd love to know what you think._

_Much Love,  
-**Amanda**_


	34. Husband and Wife

**Review offering insight to the story**:

"_I finally managed to finish reading all that you had written, and I have to say I couldn't imagine a more beautiful chapter to finish on, one that definately makes me crave the next. I know this will undoubtedly be the eye in the storm, but I was just so thankful for their respite, they definately deserved it. All the way through the past two chapters I've been on tenterhooks, wondering whether Draco's dream was a premonition of what was to come, and I cried when I realised it wasn't, and that everything was just perfect. However perfect, the way that the trouble is forever present in the background was very well written, it wasn't overpowering, yet you never let us forget all the danger thats lurking. I wish I could predict what was to come next, but you are continually shocking me with seemingly out of the blue occurences yet when I look back there are always clues. Through your writing I have been on a rollercoaster of emotions, laughing, crying, screaming with frustration, you've brought it all out, which has only made it seem more real. Even though I know, not in a million years, this could never happen, you make me believe that it could, I feel I have been with them all through everything, which only make me feel stronger for them. I cannot wait to read the next chapter, and the fact you update so regular leaves me elated. I'm going to content myself, however, till that time with reading some of your other fics.  
Thanks again for writing so brilliantly_." - **_Fairysky_** of FanFiction net.

**Thank you to the following reviewers of** Chapter Thirty-Two - **_For Better or Worse - Wedding: Part Two_**: _cmtaylor531, angelrider93, molly, Xx JK Rowling the 2nd xX, anon, lol, purplecrazy2291, Hotkat144, bethygirl94, swimchik09, Steelo, Blackonyx21, IceAngel89, Laendra, Zarroc (Jenn), Sam's Firefly, sandpaw, Mrs. St. John Allerdyce, Caligirl-HPLVR, **cle be, Liyenette, Loyal Slytherin, mskiti** (Melanie aka Tabi), **TomxFeltonsxWifeyx3, Phoenix flame01, niic smiles, anie smiles, The Slayerettes, Desi Zephyr, YourBeautifulDisaster**_ and_especially** Fairysky** (Kirsty)_and_** galloping-goose** (Zeus)_.

**Warning:**_ Three-quarters of this chapter is made up of a love scene. Not all of it though! There is an important part in here that has nothing to do with sex. The love scene is not explicit or NC-17. This is just a warning for those of you not interested in reading about it. You can scroll down to avoid it and simply pick up reading where it ends._

-

_**Growing**_

_Chapter Thirty-Three_

_Husband and Wife_

When they reached the top of the stairs, Draco scooped her up in his arms, smiling as she let out a whoop of surprise. "You realize our room is at the other end of this floor, right?" she asked, staring up at him with jubilant eyes.

"Flat floor though, much easier to walk over with you in my arms," he replied, shrugging. "Mrs. Weasley is a fantastic cook... which is why I went and tried everything," he said, frowning.

Chortling, Hermione shook her head, reaching up to run her fingers through his hair. "I warned you at dinner her cooking was addictive."

"Here I thought Ron and Harry's eating habits were simply bad manners, now I realize it's because they're so used to eating incredible food that they try and get it all in as fast as possible." He turned the corners, glancing briefly at the now empty rooms. Their house was quite large, which became more evident when there was hardly anybody else in it. He knew Tonks and Remus were still somewhere inside, but he felt more like he and Hermione had this time all to themselves.

He was nervous, he thought when the time came he would be more excited than anything. He remembered when he asked Hermione to be his first, before he was in love with her or considering marrying her. He had thought it over for years, it seemed to make perfect sense. Had they not been married though, not fallen in love like they had, it wouldn't have felt right. This moment seemed like it was supposed to happen, like everything in their friendship had led up to love, marriage, and having a more intimate relationship.

He looked down at her, she seemed deep in thought too and he wondered if she was as uncertain as he was. It wasn't that he didn't want to make love to her, it was just that he kind of felt like there was a lot of pressure on this moment and he wanted it to be special. He had employed Luna to do him a favor earlier, asking her to break away from the crowd of people to set something up for him and Hermione. It would've looked suspicious had he left without Hermione, especially since he hadn't let go of her since they were married.

He could feel Hermione's fingertips running up and down his neck, tickling his skin absently as she stared out blindly, her teeth worrying her bottom lip. His hand reached out from beneath her knees, clasping the handle of the door and pulling it down. He used his foot to push it open slowly, a grin forming on his face as he stared at Luna's handiwork. He had told her what he wanted done and she had done exactly as he asked.

Turning so Hermione's legs wouldn't hit the door frame, he crossed the threshold, listening happily to her surprised gasp. White and red rose petals were spread over the floor and tall, four-poster bed, while thick white candles hovered in the air, giving the room a romantic setting. Her eyes filled with tears and she turned to him with a shaking smile, "It's beautiful," she told him, her voice as quiet as a whisper.

Draco stared at her, his mouth turning up one side as he nodded, "Beautiful."

He closed the door behind him, his eyes roaming the room a little more until he found the box he had asked Luna to get for him, having hid it in Blaise's room when they returned from shopping. He crossed to it, pulling up the top and taking out the Slytherin green nightgown with matching robe. There was an M embroidered onto both with silver thread, small but quite elegant in its print.

"I don't know, it's a little feminine for you," Hermione commented, an amused smirk on her face as she stared at him holding it up.

Rolling his eyes, he grinned. "Perhaps, but it's definitely my colour."

Snorting, she crossed over to him, her wedding dress swirling around her legs. Her hand reached out, wrapping around the soft, thin fabric he was holding. Her eyes lit up with appreciation and she seemed to sigh quietly as she looked it over, from the small band of lace running around the modest V neck to the laced bottom of the short dress.

Draco walked around her, dropping the robe on the chair behind him and holding the green nightgown against her front, the thin straps hung over his index fingers as they rested against her shoulders. "I guess you could give it a try though, later of course," he said, leaning down to press a kiss against her neck.

Hermione's arms lifted back, wrapping around his neck as she tipped her head to the side, giving his mouth more access to her throat. Her eyes fell closed, which he could see in the mirror in front of them, while her teeth bit into her lip in pleasure. He let the nightgown fall from his hands as he wrapped his arms around her waist, his fingers splaying out over her torso. She leaned back into his chest, her body simply giving in completely.

They had spent so much time trying to get to this day, offering all of themselves just to make it to their wedding day. He had gone against his father, fought death both for her, all for this one moment. Where he could look at her and see his wife; not just his best friend, but the love of his life. What else would he have given up for her? Seeing her in that moment, standing at the altar, saying 'I do,' it was worth everything that had happened. The fighting, the hatred, the uncertainty in the eyes of those who had previously trusted them. They had something to show for it now; each other.

Kissing from beneath her ear, down her neck and over her shoulder at a savoringly slow pace, he bent enough to lift her up again, walking them to the bed. She made no protest, but let her eyes fall open so she could look up at him, her eyes half closed and glazed over slightly. He sat her down on the edge of the bed, kneeling in front of her so he could remove her heels, tossing them to the floor beside him.

"I think this would've been awkward if we were still just best friends," Hermione commented, apparently remembering when they were considering doing this before they had fallen in love.

"Probably," he replied, his hands rubbing her feet before they slowly caressed her legs, moving the satiny fabric of her dress up. "And as a husband there is more realm of possibility," he told her, nodding.

"Oh?" she asked, her voice coming out raspy. "Like?"

"Well," he said, folding the bottom of her dress up to her knees. "Would a best friend kiss you here?" he asked, leaning in to press his lips against the inside of her ankle. He heard her swallow as she fell back to lean on her elbows, her head barely sitting up any longer. "Or here?" he wondered, moving his mouth up the the side of her calf with a slow, gentle pace; coming to a stop to run his lips over the turn of her knee. His hands slowly ascended her thigh, squeezing lightly at her supple skin until he found what he had been looking for.

He moved her dress up higher, smiling at the light blue band around her thigh. "I think I was supposed to toss this," he commented, his index finger tracing around her thigh, barely touching and yet making her stomach jerk up all the same, "but I really wanted to do this instead."

She lifted her head to see what he was doing and watched as he wrapped his teeth around the thin, lacy fabric, dragging it down her leg slowly, stopping a few times to kiss her limb. His lips pressed lightly against her skin, while his tongue came out to tease her whenever his teeth grazed her leg. His fingertips drew circles against her other leg, descending the limb with a lazy pace, meant to make her shiver. He finally pulled the garter belt off completely, and took it from his mouth to twirl around for a second before putting it down on the bed beside her. She stared down at him, her brown eyes lit with passion and her chest moving rapidly with excitement.

He realized he was acting with a confidence that came out of nowhere, while his mind was whirring with uncertainty. He'd obviously never done this before and even though she hadn't either, he felt as if he was supposed to know some dire secret to making it perfect that just wasn't coming to him. He decided to just live it in the moment, instead of calculating things out, he'd do what came naturally and if she didn't like it, she'd tell him.

He moved his hands up from both of her ankles, his palms sliding slowly over her legs until they met the top of her thighs. He raised himself until he was hovering above her, then slipped his hands under her back and lifted her farther onto the bed. Her eyes were still connected with his, watching his every move.

He leaned over her, picking up one of her arms and pressing a kiss against her wrist, his tongue slipping out to run across her pulse point. His fingers tangled with hers, "I don't think a best friend would kiss you here either," he commented, moving his mouth down her forearm, his teeth grazing her skin lightly. She tasted sweet, he knew he was biased but her skin was like honey to his taste buds.

When his mouth met the crook of her elbow, she lifted her free hand to run down the arm he was using to prop himself up that pressed against her hip. She undid the cuff link, putting it over on the trunk at the front of their bed and then moved her hand to begin undoing his vest, before she pulled the tail of his crisp, white shirt from the waist of his pressed black pants. Her eyes settled on her hand as it popped each button out slowly. She ran her fingers up his bare chest as the shirt fell apart, her fingers dancing over his taut skin.

He was losing focus on her as her hands moved behind to run up his back, her nails trailing over his skin in a quiveringly delightful motion. He forced himself to concentrate and continued kissing over her bicep and across her smooth shoulder, his fingers slowly let go of hers to skim over her arm and down her side, resting against her ribs.

"As a husband, this part is a possibility too," he told her, trailing his mouth around the curve of the top of her dress, his mouth devouring the bare top of her chest. She giggled as his breath hit a sensitive part of her neck when he moved up to lavish her throat. He smiled against her, feeling her legs moving against his until her foot was pressing against the back of his calf and slowly moving up, her heel pressing into him on and off.

Both of her hands curled around the collar of his shirt, before slipping under and wrapping around his shoulders, squeezing lightly and then moving down to his shoulder blades, moving in a half-circle until they were slowly pushing the white fabric down his arms. He accommodated her, lifting one of his arms so she could pull it off of him and then returning it to lay beside her as he moved the other until the shirt was fully off and she was tossing it above their heads to the floor.

Her arms wrapped around him, fingers pressing into his back and pulling him closer to her body. He relaxed his upper half until he laying against her, but still held most of his weight up with his arms. She was small compared to him and he constantly worried he was going to crush her beneath him.

His hair brushed her cheek as he ran his mouth around the curve of her neck, while his hands wrapped around her soft shoulders. One of her knees pressed into his side until he suddenly found himself on his back, with her on top of him. She laughed at the surprised look on his face but then leaned into cover his mouth with hers; his hands moved from her shoulders to weave into her hair.

Her body molded against his, her hands leisurely moving from his neck down his chest to the top of his pants and resting against his sides. He could feel her every curve pressed against him, and her warm breath beat against his lips as she pulled away to inhale deeply. "And as your wife I get to kiss you here," she said, her brow lifting moderately before she moved so her face was hovering just above his chest. She pressed her lips against his bare skin, her hair falling to trail over his torso as she began descending the middle of his body. She stopped at his navel, her teeth grazing the skin and nibbling lightly.

Her thighs straddled his waist as she sat up and moved her hands up from his waist to his ribs and then down again. His hands reached out, wrapping around her arms and trailing down to her wrists. Her fingers undid his belt, slowly pulling it from the loops of his pants. She popped the button open, her hands shaking a little. Her eyes connected with his, and he could see her need to do it on her own; she wanted to do this, she was just a little scared.

His body felt like it was on fire, every fiber of him was humming with energy. He couldn't kiss her enough, couldn't touch her with enough feeling, couldn't taste her without needing more. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears, feel her fingers against his skin, and see the love shining in her eyes like a beacon through the passion.

She started pushing the black pants down his legs, smiling briefly at the green boxers he was wearing; she used her legs to get his pants the rest of the way off of him, before she moved up to let out a triumphant sigh and kiss him deeply. His arms wrapped around her waist, hands moving up to caress her bare back, before he sat them up, her body still pressed against his. Her hands wrapped around his biceps, squeezing them lightly before she wrapped her arms around his neck, one of her hands burying in his hair.

When they broke apart, he moved his mouth to her neck, her curtain of hair tickling his face. She leaned her chin on his shoulder, her hands pressing into his back, trying to get him closer. He could feel her heavy breathing against his neck, and hear his own loudly in his ears. He moved back from her, his hands resting on her hips and pushing her back a little until he lifted her and turned her around; her legs helped, pushing her up and following his movements.

Her head lolled forward and her hair fell down her back, covering the smooth, bare skin. His hand wrapped around the long, soft curls, moving them over her shoulder so they fell down the front. He pressed his mouth against her shoulder, slowly moving down her supple back, while his hands slipped into the sides of the white fabric, pushing it off of her. She lifted her arms, letting the straps of her dress slip off of them. He kissed down to the middle of her back, before going back up and finally pushing the top of the dress until it was laying, in front of her; with it went the corset that connected on the inside. He wrapped his arm around her bare, soft waist, lifting her up so he could push the bottom of her dress down her legs and off of her completely.

Her shoulders were hunched just slightly, which he knew to be her insecurities talking. Draco reached out, taking her hands and bringing them back for her to wrap around his neck as she fell back against his chest. His hands trailed down from her wrists to her shoulder and then down her now bare sides, stopping at her hips and moving across to splay out over her stomach. His pressed his cheek against hers, his eyes connecting with hers, speaking silent wonders. She sighed, moving closer to kiss him gently, one of her hands coming down to caress his cheek. She seemed to relax then, as if seeing him reminded her who it was she was with and how right it was to be with him.

He was still shaking on the inside, not sure if he was doing the right thing or not, but going by whether or not she seemed to be liking it. His instincts had taken over at some point and he found himself becoming more bold in where he was holding her and how he was kissing her. There was still a lightheartedness to it though, and he didn't feel as if he still had to measure up to being the Draco Malfoy the people at school had seen him as.

He reminded himself he was with Hermione, the only girl who really knew him, and that she was his wife now. She was in love with him, not the Sex God of Slytherin, though he still believed he could firmly be that. At least with Hermione, in their bedroom. He wasn't about to show off his talent to anybody else, he didn't want to. Right there, in that moment, everything felt perfect. He forgot there was anybody else in the world, that there was anything outside of them. He felt only her skin, her mouth, heard only their combined breathing, their racing heartbeats, and understood only that they loved each other, that they had been married just a few short hours ago.

Her fingers tugged at his hair lightly, as if she was getting impatient with wanting him nearer. His hands moved up slowly, fingers taking in every inch of her supple skin, before they stopped just beneath the swell of her breasts. She stopped kissing him then, inhaling a short gasp of breath, her mouth still close to his and her eyes opened half-way. She stared at him searchingly for a moment, before she closed her eyes and pressed her lips into his again, moving her upper body out just an inch, as if goading his hands to keep moving up.

He was distracted for a moment as her mouth devoured his, but remembered what his hands had been doing when she arched her back. He cupped her softly, not entirely sure what he was supposed to be doing, but she made a noise that encouraged him. Before he knew it his instincts were back, taking over his fumbling hands to run over every curve of her, eliciting murmurs of enjoyment from Hermione.

He fell back slowly, before he moved her to lay beside him and turned them so they were laying properly on the bed. Her hair fanned out over the pillows while the candlelight bathed her in an ethereal glow. Her legs curved up on his sides and he trailed kisses over her thighs until he was swathing her navel with the warmth of his lips. His hands ran up and down her sides, thumbs brushing over the soft texture of her skin. Her hands rested on his shoulders, moving down his back as he ascended her body, fingers dipping in each curve.

"I feel like this entire day has been surreal," she whispered, staring up at him with wide, doe eyes.

"It has," he replied, his body pressing into hers. "D'you remember the summer before last, when I told you that I wanted us to run away, to be free of everything and just pretend none of it existed?" She nodded, her fingers running up and down his cheek, leaving a tickling sensation. "I've changed my mind. I don't want to forget any of it. I just want to share everything with you. If it's bad or good, I just want you there. I know getting married was originally because I didn't want my father to force me into a life with Pansy, but it's all so much more than that now."

"I know," she responded, quietly. She nodded, her hands delving into his hair to tangle in the soft strands.

His hand cupped her face, thumb brushing over cheek lightly. "I don't ever want to lose you," he whispered, his throat tightening with emotion. "What we're doing, my loving you, it could get you hurt. I know it's a little late for that, and I know I keep saying I'll protect you, but... Sometimes, I really get scared for us," he admitted, staring at her searchingly.

"I mean it when I say I'll love you forever, I just don't know how long our forever is. We've got so many against us, and I hate thinking that one day you're just not going to be here. Or that I'll wake up some morning and you won't be the first thing I see." Turning his head down, he pressed his eyes against her shoulder, squeezing them tightly in hopes that the tears building wouldn't slip out.

Hermione let out a shaky breath, one of her hands running through his hair. "I can't say we'll have each other for as long as we like," she told him, her palm running up and down his back. "But I am going to be with you for as long as I can. I'm not giving up on this for them and I'm not going to hide forever. We'll face them when the time comes. We'll go back to school and put up with whatever the students have to say, and we'll face your father when he reemerges. We're not alone, either. We have each other and we have everybody who was here tonight. They support us and we've already been through so much."

He nodded, still not lifting his head, but listening intently to both her words and her heartbeat.

"I have the same fears, Draco. I get scared when your hand isn't in mine or if I haven't seen you in more than five minutes," she said, her voice quivering slightly. "But we can't let them control us like that. If we keep hiding or we pretend we don't care about each other like we do, then they win. And if they win, then I don't have you, which is simply not possible."

"I'm never going to let you go," he said, lifting his head to look down at her with red-rimmed eyes. "I don't care how it looks, I'll just carry you around all day," he told her, smiling. "I think it'll really get our message across."

"Oh?" she asked, amused. "And exactly is our message?" she queried, tipping her chin up to stare at him adoringly.

"That what we have is stronger than anything they throw at us," he replied, softly, his hand coming out to brush away a tendril of her brown hair. "That they can keep up their little tirade against us, but we won't fall apart like they want us to." He paused for a moment, staring at her intently. "And that we're together."

"You... want them to know?" she asked, surprised.

"Not that we're married, that will encourage Lucius to come looking for us. But, I want Hogwarts to know that I love you. Not only because I'm really tired of being hit on everywhere I go, but because I don't want it to be hidden away whenever we go to our room." He grinned, dipping his head down to kiss her gently, "Plus, I want to be able to do this whenever I want." He chuckled, glancing down at their attire. "Not exactly this, I don't think Dumbledore would approve," he added, smirking.

Rolling her eyes, Hermione shook her head shortly. "You're incorrigible."

"Only went it comes to you, love," he replied, his hands running up her sides, making her shiver. Running his lips across her neck, he nipped at her clavicle. "Let's talk later," he decided, nodding quickly.

She made an agreeing noise, her eyes falling partly closed as she stared down at him. Their hands moved down, removing the last bit of clothing between them and tossing it aside, their eyes firmly locked together. Draco dipped his face down to kiss her deeply, his hand slipping into her hair while the other found one of hers, lacing their fingers and holding it against the pillow, above their heads.

Jane had told them all about the first time when they were younger, so he knew some of what to suspect, which only worried him. She seemed to sense his hesitation, because her hand came down to cup his cheek bringing his face up to hers, their eyes meeting. She smiled at him, and he was almost sure she'd never looked as beautiful as then. Her hair was slightly tangled from their movements and his hands threading in and out of it, her lips looked thoroughly kissed and her eyes were shining with what could only be described as love. She nodded at him, before tipping her chin and pressing her lips against his.

Drowning against the feel of her mouth, he slipped inside of her gently, hoping she too would be distracted. He felt her mouth tense momentarily, so he stopped his movements, his navel pressed against hers as they moved quickly with heavy breathing. He layered her neck with kisses, remaining still until she encouraged him to continue. His body screamed at him to move, but he controlled himself, knowing she needed a moment to get comfortable. He didn't want their first time to be forced or uncomfortable, he wanted it to be something to remember; something sweet and loving.

Her hand pressed into his shoulder while her hips rolled against his, which he took as his cue to begin moving. She squeezed his hand tightly and her eyes fluttered a few times while he kissed his way over her face and began making slow love to her. There was a constant barrage of emotions that crossed her face, which he noticed with fascination. Her feelings had never been as raw as in that moment, and he wondered if his showed on his face too.

His hand moved down from her hair, caressing her sides and running up and down her arm around him. His abdomen tightened with his movements and their legs tangled in the blankets. He could feel the soft petals strewn over the bed, cold against his skin.

He was fairly sure that he was living out a dream; one filled with something unattainable. There was gratification in every move he made, a feeling in every breath he took. Her every fiber was electric beneath his fingertips while his mouth seemed to touch the most glorious of parts, savoring the flavor of Hermione in its every kiss. There was nothing else like it, and he could combine his every good moment to find that it still didn't match up. He was beyond happy, he was somewhere in the realm of delirious bliss.

His mouth trailed down from hers, lapping at her now glistening skin. His lips enjoyed her every curve, searching out every crevice and devouring her wholly. Her fingers pressed into him, her nails biting his skin while she made pleased noises at the back of her throat. Her hips rose to meet his, while her mouth explored the plains of his chest, and lavished his shoulders and neck. She murmured his name against his ear, gasps following each call for him.

He found himself floating in a world of ecstasy and he never wanted to come down. Her lips tasted sweet, while her skin was warm and tingly against his mouth. His legs burned, but the pain was worth it and soon became almost enjoyable. His body tightened in response to everything she did, while her body seemed to melt into him, open to his every touch.

She threw her head back, her breathing heavy and loud while he panted against her neck. Low noises escaped her throat and she held him tight against her every time he thrust deeply. She clutched at him, pulling him closer to her, while she let out a pleasured cry. He could feel himself reaching the end, his stomach was clenching and a barrage of sensations ran through him, head to toe. Their passion hit its crescendo, joint cries of ecstatic passion burst from their throats, colliding with each other to become one long, drawn out moan.

He fell against her, his body trembling and void of any strength any longer. She held him tightly, her arms wrapped around his shoulders and her hands buried in his damp hair. He rested his cheek against her breast, breathing heavily and letting his eyes fall closed. Her smooth legs were moving against him, a relaxing feeling that he felt brought his heartbeat to a normal pace. "That was..." he let it trail off, still trying to get his breath back.

"Amazing," she finished, her voice sounding awed.

Draco let out a low chuckle, lifting his head to look at her. He opened his mouth to say, 'I told you so,' but she rolled her eyes at him before he could.

"Don't say it," she stopped him, her hand cupping down to run her knuckles over his cheek.

Smirking, Draco leaned in, pressing his lips against hers for a succession of short, sweet kisses. His hand wrapped around her shoulder, feeling something stuck to her skin. He smiled, pulling back and laughing lightly at the rose petal that he lifted from her glistening skin. He held it up for her to see before trailing it down her cheek, the soft texture making her shiver and bite her lip as she stared up at him with glazed eyes.

He found himself surrounded by a filled sensation, as if any possibility of loneliness was null and void. His body was still humming on high, making him relaxed enough to fall asleep with out a second thought. He wasn't sure how to describe making love to her. It was a collection of things, of words that weren't adequate. It was amazing how much love can be poured into one act, but he found that they were both putting all of themselves into it. Not just physically, but emotionally.

There were moments where he'd catch her eye and he'd never seen so much love in them before, where it was raw and passionate in her thrumming gaze. There were times when she breathed his name and it never sounded as sweet, as thick and layered with feeling. A pile of little things he felt and heard, all combined to make their first time together all the more incredible.

He had been awkward and unsure in the beginning, but it all melted into the background of much more valuable and lasting feelings. Those of deep devotion and lifelong love, of carefree passion and immeasurable bliss. Her own insecurities seemed to evaporate in front of him as she simply let herself be loved by him, returning the same caress and devouring him wholly, body and soul.

He believed they were intimate before, with how well they knew each other and how deeply they loved, but they had managed to create something more that night, something that connected them in a physical and somewhat spiritual manner. Sex to some was just an act of lust, a way to deal with hormones in a fun way, but he felt that it meant more when with someone who means more. Instead of being all about physical need and reaching the end, it was about experiencing something new and emotionally charged with someone he loved. It was about creating a bond between a husband and a wife, not simply letting go of inhibitions and letting loose a carnal desire.

He met her mouth with a long, passionate embrace, before turning them over so he wasn't crushing her, executing the little bit of strength he had left in him. Her body pressed into his, every curve finding its perfect match while her legs wrapped around his. They broke apart after a long while, needing air and feeling tired. She rested her head on his chest, her hair spread out around her, while he played with the soft, thick curls, winding them around his finger. He brushed them off her cheek, his fingertips leaving a soft, tickling sensation against her skin.

She sighed contentedly, her fingers absently drawing random shapes on his chest. "Draco," she said, quietly.

"Hmm," he replied, his eyes still closed and his fingers limp in her hair as he cradled her close to him.

"D'you think it'll always be this perfect between us?" she wondered, lifting her head to rest her chin on his chest. "These feelings, these moments, d'you think we'll always have them?"

Opening his eyes, he stared down at her tiredly, before he nodded. He smiled lightly, running his palm down her face to cup her cheek. "I don't think we could ever **not** have these feelings. And moments like this happen because we want them to, because when we're together it feels right. As long as we want this, we'll always have it."

"How did you get so romantic?" she asked, smiling.

"My wife did it to me," he replied, a sleepy grin appearing on his face. "I'm going to fall asleep now, but feel free to wake me up in an hour for a repeat," he said, his brow lifting as he nodded.

Chortling, Hermione rolled her eyes. She settled in against him, reaching out to wrap the side of the blanket around their forms as the air began to feel chilly against her still damp skin. He reached down, taking her hand and weaving their fingers together before he turned his head to one side. His mind slowly fell into a peaceful sleep, thinking of the warmth surrounding him as Hermione snuggled closer.

Taking his offer, Hermione woke him up an hour later, by kissing her way up his chest, which he felt was definitely the most pleasant wake up call. They made love three times that night, and didn't wake up on Boxing Day until a little after noon. He opened his eyes to find Hermione pressed up against his side, already awake as she watched him slowly rouse from the fitful sleep. "Morning," he mumbled, a sly grin forming on his mouth.

"Afternoon," she replied, sitting up on one arm so she could lean over him to press a slow kiss against his pliant mouth. She pulled back, ran her hand down his chest and then crossed the room quickly. He sighed heavily, moving himself so he was in a sitting position. She grabbed the green nightgown and robe off the floor, and sent him a welcoming smile as she made her way to the connecting bathroom.

Draco hurriedly crawled out of bed, crossing the room and picking her up before she could make it through the bathroom door, smiling as she let out a laughing shriek. He walked them in, setting her on his her feet but standing close behind her. She turned the knobs of the shower, checking the water while he kissed his way over her shoulders, his arms wrapped around her waist. She tossed the nightgown onto the bathroom counter before climbing into the bathtub and underneath the beating water, pulling him with her.

Awhile later, after trying to get dressed and failing to get very far, they gave it another try and managed to get to the door before Hermione stopped him with a deep, sensuous kiss. After an intense snog against the bedroom door, they were finally able to leave, large grins on their faces as they held hands, walking to the stairs.

"D'you want to open the gifts after or before breakfast?" Draco asked her, slipping his arm around her waist.

"After," she replied, nodding shortly. "I'm really, really hungry."

Smirking, Draco leaned down to kiss her forehead. "That's mostly your fault," he told her.

"How is it my fault, Mr. I'm-a-sex-god-and-going-to-prove-it-to-you-a-total-of-five-and-a-half-times?" she responded, her brows lifting as if to prove a point.

"You're the one who woke me up every time, and asked me into the shower, and you were the one who instigated the snog against the door," he reminded, smirking. "And you can't count snogging as half," he told her, shaking his head. "Makes it sound like I wasn't able to finish. I would have, if you hadn't decided food was more important," he said in a faux-accusatory tone.

Laughing, Hermione smiled up at him, "What do you propose we do then? Stay in our room making love and never eat again?" she wondered, her eyes wide.

"Sounds like a plan, let's go," he said, motioning as if he were going to go back.

Tugging on his hand, she continued down the stairs. "I think Mrs. Weasley said she left something for us to just heat up for breakfast," she told him, noticing the way his face lit up at the mention of Molly's food.

"Well, maybe we can eat this one time," he said, walking a little faster to get to the kitchen. He rubbed his stomach as it gave out a loud growl, apparently agreeing that food was a necessity. As they reached the bottom of the stairs, he moved behind Hermione to wrap his arms around her waist and rest his chin on her robe covered shoulder.

"I thought we agreed we were going to eat?" she asked, amused.

"Nobody said I couldn't enjoy you and food," he replied, pressing his lips to her neck and kissing her adoringly as she wrapped her hands around his forearms.

Her hair was still a little damp so it wet his white shirt as it hung behind her and was stuck pressed between his chest and her back. He slipped his hand into the long green robe, his fingers skittering across her nightgown and down her stomach. He lifted it up until he was able to maneuver his hand beneath it, his palm finding the sweet warmth of her bare navel. She seemed to fall back into him, her feet hardly moving and simply letting him direct her wherever he wanted. His mouth moved higher on her neck and then trailing down the curve of her cheek to stop at the corner of her mouth.

They were nearly in the dining room when Hermione gave out a gasp and turned quickly to press her front against his chest. His hand was still inside her nightgown however, so it bunched it higher with her twisting and his hand was left on her back, pushing out her robe a little. He lifted his head to see Tonks and Remus sitting at the table, shocked expressions on their faces. Lupin's mouth was hanging open, a chunk of toast sticking out of it, while Tonks was choking on her coffee.

Draco unsure how to react, shrugged. "Morning," he said, looking down at Hermione who was beet red and shaking her head slowly, clearly mortified.

Clearing his throat, Remus nodded, taking the piece of toast out of his mouth to say, "Good morning."

Tonks seemed to gain control of breathing normally, nodding at them before smiling. "Well, I guess you two had a good night... and morning," she commented.

Draco couldn't help but grin, which earned a slap in the arm from Hermione who had been watching his face. He looked down at her, not the least bit apologetic and kissed her forehead. "Come on, you're the one who wanted to eat," he said, slipping his hand out and readjusting her nightgown, closing the robe more. His hand fell to rest on her hip, turning her around and directing her to a seat at the table.

Various bowls covered the tabletop, full of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and porridge. There was also a stack of toast, a jar of jam and peanut butter, and a jug of orange juice. A pile of plates and some cutlery sat on one side of the table, so Draco grabbed them and passed Hermione hers, she still looked terribly uncomfortable and refused to look anywhere near Tonks or Remus.

"So," Draco said, scooping a pile of scrambled eggs onto his plate. "How was your night?" he asked, looking at Remus and Tonks.

His cousin smiled, her cheeks reddening just mildly. "It was good," she told him, and he was sure something had happened between her and Remus afterwards. She cleared her throat, covering her happy mood with something more businesslike. "There were only a few problems, and--" She stopped speaking when she got a look from Remus and then corrected herself. "It was great, the wedding really tuckered us all out."

"What problems?" Hermione asked, apparently over her discomfort when faced with danger.

"It was nothing," Lupin assured, shaking his head. "A late wedding gift came is all, from an unknown person. It set off numerous alarms and everybody reacted by nearly killing the creature in its descent," he explained, his tone trying to sound as if it was nothing important.

Draco frowned, staring down at his food for a moment. "Where's the gift?"

"Being examined," Remus replied, stiffly. "A few Order members are looking it over now. If there's no problem, then we'll let you open it. But not until then," he told them, firmly.

"But you don't think anybody knows where this place is, do you?" Hermione wondered, sounding worried.

"No," he told them, seriously. "The owl was able to find you, but I'm certain that nobody else could. Were it being followed, the _Confundus_ charm would affect the owl's sense of direction far before it reaches here and it would take the witch or wizard following it to some place else before returning home. The same goes for tracking charms, the bird would become confused early on," he assured.

"Where's the owl?" Draco asked, his appetite waning. "Did you set it free or have you kept it?"

"To make sure suspicions weren't raised, we let it go. After fixing it of course," Tonks replied, sighing.

"D'you remember what it looked like?" he wondered, leaning back in his chair. He felt stiff and uncomfortable, as if everything good that had happened was ages before then and he was once again faced with reality.

"You think it was Lucius'," Hermione noted, frowning deeply.

There was a knock at the door then and Remus walked to the side entrance of the house near his chair. He opened it, glancing once at the three occupying the table and then walked outside to speak to the man who knocked. A low murmuring could be heard but not deciphered and Draco stared at the door with his back tense and previous good mood all but gone.

After a few moments, Remus came back inside, holding a box beneath his arm and bearing an uncertain expression. He crossed the dining room to place the darkly wrapped gift on the table in front of the newlyweds. "As far as can be found, there are no problems with it. No tracking charms, no deadly hexes waiting to come out, and no invisible curses stuck on it."

"So... we can open it?" Hermione asked, staring at the present pensively.

"If you want," Lupin replied, sounding hesitant.

Draco clenched his jaw, staring at the gift through thinned eyes. Hermione's hand reached out, but Draco stopped her, putting her unsure hand down on the table and shaking his head. Clearing his throat, he sat up straight and pulled the gift to himself, using his thumbs to pop the sides of the wrapping open and ripping the dark paper off it quickly. He was left with a black box, daring him to open it. On the top was a painted gold M, rather mocking in its elegant swirl.

Grimacing, he slowly lifted the top of the box, finding a piece of parchment at the top with the bold black lettering stating, "_Son_," as if calling him to read it. He reached out, picking it up with a shaking hand and unrolled the yellowish paper. He read the letter quickly, his heartbeat slowing to almost nonexistent, before he reached into the box and pulled out a smaller, thinner one. He closed his eyes for a moment, before he popped the latch on it and pulled open the top. His grasp began shaking as his mouth trembled painfully, the box falling to the table as Narcissa Malfoy's left ring finger rolled out, her wedding band still sitting on the bloody digit.

* * *

**A/N** _Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Per usual it tells of the fact that not everything can be sweet and nice. Soon they'll be returning to school, which will bring us back to discovering who sent out the journal and dealing with the perception of the student body. Please review, I'd really like to know what you all think! Thank you for reading!_

_Much Love,  
-**Amanda**_


	35. Ready or Not?

**Review offering insight to the story**:

"_Your talent for writing is indescribable and the intensity of the situation never falters with this fic, and BIT too. Having read them both you are decidely the most wonderful person to ever walk this earth. Characters emotions are so realistically written and you talk of the characters so lovingly as if you know them personally. Blaise reading the Quibbler is frankly, adorable and the shy!Harry with Luna is perfect. I loved the way you incorperated Andromeda into the fic and thought it perfect that Narcissa became a mother in the last moments we saw her. Which brings me to the ending so far. Her finger? Oh thats so sickly sweet, for what it represent I mean. Its a horrible wedding gift, fitting of Lucius only but her finger? Thats so awful Poor Cissa? But then does that mean she is still alive? Only time will tell and I hope you update soon, because my revision has died to make way for your writing, (and rightly so)! Good Luck in the future, I hope you write a book, it'd be amazingly lovelely impeccably superbly brilliantly fantasically stupendously fabulously famously...good_!" - **_mimbulus-mimbletonia_** of FanFiction net.

**Thank you to the following reviewers of** Chapter Thirty-Three - **_Husband and Wife_**: _Dizi 85, Mrs. St. John Allerdyce, Hotkat144, cle be, cmtaylor531, annonymous, anon, LadyBrianna, swimchik09, sandpaw, bethygirl94, SilverDragon's Angel, BlackOnyx21, Weaselbee, TomxFeltons,xWifeyx3, Steelo, Life Is Truely Great, pureplecrazy2291, xX Jk Rowling the 2nd Xx, Phoenix flame01, sasmith, AureliaMalfoy, sharon, emptylil'firefly, **anie smiles, Loyal Slytherin, Zarroc, YoureBeautifulDisaster, niic smiles, Laendra **_and_ especially** mimbulus-mimbletonia, PiperPaigePhoebe01, Fairsky, annieca, ClassicPairsShipper **_and**_ galloping-goose._**

**Dedicated to**: _**ClassicPairsShipper**, since she kept nagging me to do what I should've done a long time ago. Thanks for the push, I hope you enjoy this._

_**Growing**_

_Chapter Thirty-Four_

_Ready or Not?_

_Son,_

_A wise wizard once said, "Survival of the fittest," and I firmly agree. You know, I believe your mother learned an important lesson recently, one that you still haven't quite grasped. Power is everything in this world Draco; you would do well to remember that. A War is not far off and sides are quickly being chosen. Now, I know you say you've picked yours and I'm sure the mudblood is reading over your shoulder, but come to your senses boy._

_Our Lord will come out victorious in this battle against that pitiful Potter boy. You must know this. I realize that I've left you to dwell in that Granger girl's presence far too long, but forgive me for believing I had raised you the right way. I let you slum, Draco, obviously for too long. I thought you'd grow out of it and finish sowing your oats before the day came when our Lord was ready to gain his rightful power._

_I understand you've gone in to hiding, no doubt by the declaration of that fool Dumbledore. Get out while you still can, Draco. Find our allies and bring yourself to the mercy of our Lord. I'm certain he'll forgive you for your insolence. If anything he'll want consolation, perhaps the head of that mudblood you seem to enjoy toting around._

_Remember this, Draco, I have no qualms about destroying you. Your mother got in the way, she thought she could just walk away from all that I've built, but she can't and she won't. She'll relearn what I taught her and in the end, she too will stand by our Lord. Make the right choice, Draco. Return to your people. Leave the filth behind and join the victorious side while you still can. Make no mistake, I will kill you if I find you on the wrong side of the battlefield, boy._

_Narcissa wanted to say something to you, but her hand seems to be bothering her. So I'll give you the short version of her wailing screams. "Please, no more. I can't take it. NOOO... I don't know where he is! I don't know, I swear... Ahhhhhh..." Well, I'm sure you get the idea. I'm afraid my dear wife has forgotten her vow of silence, I best remind her. _

_I get the feeling she misses you Draco. Make your mother proud and return to your rightful place in this world. By my side, at our Lord's service, against that mudblood garbage._

_Sincerely,  
Father_

Draco stumbled backwards, his stomach lurching into his throat. He turned quickly, rushing into the kitchen, his feet slipping on the floor. He managed to get to the sink before the contents of his stomach were emptied out and down the drain. He gagged for awhile, his back clenching as he heaved up nothing but painful air. Sweat broke out over his skin and he painfully held onto the counter. Reaching out, he turned the tap on, washing away the foul smell and trying to rinse the taste from his mouth as he panted with his head bowed and his eyes tightly closed.

He felt dirty, like her blood was on his hands. He checked them to be sure and while there was nothing there, the feeling wouldn't leave him alone. They shook in front of him, so he curled them into fists to still their obvious fear. Wiping his mouth with the back of his arm, he shook his head, trying to get the vision of her bloody finger out of his mind.

He could practically hear her terrorized screaming in his ears, see her begging Lucius to let her go, vowing she had no idea where Draco was hiding, only to be maliciously hurt once more. Draco felt his body shaking, his mind on the verge of snapping from his thoughts. He couldn't take it, couldn't stand having the weight of it all on top of him. Pushing away from the sink, he left the kitchen, taking the stairs up two at a time. He tripped a few times, his feet wanting to get away too fast and missing steps.

Making his way into the bathroom connected to his and Hermione's bedroom, he turned the taps to a random temperature and threw off his bathrobe before he slipped into the tub. The shower rained down on him, the water almost warm but still rather cold. He let it soak through his clothes, absorb into his skin, beat down on him until he felt his body was raw. He still felt dirty and when he looked down at his hands, his eyes played tricks, showing her blood all over them, her finger laying in his palm. He blinked furiously, his heartbeat picking up until he his chest was heaving.

Closing his eyes, he lifted his legs until his face was pressed against his knees. The damp texture of his pants sat against his face, cool and scratchy. The water kept coming but he never felt any cleaner; it trickled down his back, poured over his arms, drowned his feet, and still he could feel her blood on him. He did it. He was the reason she was being cruelly tortured for his whereabouts. He shouldn't have let her go against Lucius. Hermione would've gotten him away on her own, he should have told his mother to just leave the matter alone.

He rocked forward and then back, trying to make himself smaller, trying to get away from the incriminating idea that he had sent his mother off to die. He hadn't even looked for her, instead leaving it up to Dumbledore and his Auror's. If they couldn't find Voldemort, then why should he trust them to find his mother? Incompetent fools, the lot of them. She was being beaten to death, her fingers cut off, all to send a message to him. And right good job the Auror's did inspecting the mysterious gift too. How the hell did a mangled finger get past their expertise?

He was filling with anger, at himself, at Dumbledore, at Lucius, and even his own mother for suddenly changing on him. His stomach was still in a knot, his mind flashing with blood and missing limbs. What if she was dead now? What if he had killed her right after taking her finger, and he was only taunting Draco with the idea that his mother was still alive? Or what if she was, and it was just a matter of time before he killed her? What was he supposed to do?

He muttered curses under his breath, tears welling up in his eyes though he tried to force them away. The water chilled, coming down far more cold than it had before. It drained away instead of filling the high tub, but he was left in a few inches of water still as it gushed down upon him. He shivered, his teeth beginning to chatter, but he shook his head, unwilling to get out until his body was clean. His feet felt like they were being jabbed by small knives all over, he wiggled them for feeling but gave up when the pain continued.

Lifting his arms back, he slid his hands through his hair, pulling on it with frustration. He had given up so much already, he had only wanted a little time, just a small break from all the terror to start his new life. But he couldn't even have that. He couldn't spend the day with his wife, simply being married and going through gifts from friends and family. He had to find his mother's mangled, bloody finger and a warning that he had better give up his fanciful dreams of living happily.

Shaking his head, he held in the strangled sob, willing its way out of his throat. His temples throbbed with a headache brought on from his fear and anger, his eyes burned with his tears, and his mouth began to hurt from how tightly he had it clenched. He felt like he might just be going insane, what with everything always going wrong. His happiness was always closely followed by something that destroyed any feelings of joy. He should be ecstatic right now, he should be unwrapping gifts and snogging Hermione beneath mistletoe. This was his honeymoon of sorts, this was his first day as a husband. And what did his father give him? A reminder that he wasn't allowed days like this, he was bred for darkness and nothing else.

"Draco," her soft voice echoed in his mind, but it sounded distant, unattainable.

He shook his head, keeping his eyes closed. Her hand touched his shoulder but he ignored it, still overruled by his suffocating feelings. The waves of water were interrupted for a moment and he opened his eyes to see Hermione kneeling in front of him. She stared at him, her hair slowly being drenched. Her eyes fluttered as she avoided the drops of water slipping down her face. She reached out for him but he reared back, moving until he was pressed against the back of the tub. "Don't, it's all over me," he told her, shaking his head, "I don't want it on you," he whispered, his throat tight and his voice hoarse.

"What is, what's on you?" she asked, moving closer.

"The blood, her finger, her pain," he mumbled, lifting his hands to press against his face as he crumbled inside. "I did it. It's all my fault," he breathed through grit teeth.

"No, no, Draco, he did it," she told him, reaching out to pull his hands down. His chest heaved and his breath came out heavy through his clenched teeth. "Lucius did this, not you. He's trying to break you, to hurt you. There's a... There's a possibility it's not your mothers," she told him, her eyes lighting up with hope.

Shaking his head, Draco let out a shaky breath, staring at her straight on, "It is," he told her, no doubt at all in his tone.

She nodded slowly, her eyes falling away. Her mouth twitched before she looked back up at him, "It's... It's one finger, she could still be alive," she told him, nodding assuredly. "Never assume the worst, it only hurts you more. You have to have hope!"

Draco shook his head, "What hope?" he asked, his voice taut with distress. "We give and we give, only to have everything taken from us. Who's next, Hermione? Huh? Harry? Blaise? Ron or Luna? He went after your parents, he got my mother," he said, morosely. "It's just going to keep going if we..."

"If we what?" she asked, reaching out for him with a shaky hand.

He pulled back, shaking his head, curling himself away from her. He could still see it all over himself, he didn't want to taint her with his mistakes, with his broken deeds. "If we let him. If we just wait for it to happen," he told her, his voice rather loud over the rush of water coming down on them.

"What can we do, Draco?" she wondered, her eyes sad and downcast. "The public wants to either kill us or send us in, the Ministry is trying to have us detained, Dumbledore has us in hiding, and there's money out on our heads. What can we possibly do without being caught, or worse, killed?" she asked, her voice raising but shaking with her fear.

"We can't keep hiding," he told her, shaking his head, his throat dry and burning. "I can't do this. I can't just sit in the background, hoping that he doesn't show up one night while we're sleeping. I can't... I can't wait for him to get us, I have to get him first," he said, thickly.

"What are you going to do?" She stared at him, her chin quivering. He didn't know if she was cold from the water or scared for the future. "Kill him, Draco? Your father? Could you even?"

"I almost did," he reminded, his eyes falling as his body convulsed with the cold. "We can't wait, Hermione. He's out there and it's either us or him. He's not going to just let us live after all of this is done. If we make it to the war, we're his top priority. And if we don't, then I'm sure he'll have killed us when our backs were turned, oblivious to his attack," he told her, angrily.

She stared at him, tears milling in her eyes as she bit her lip, shaking her head. "And how are we supposed to find him?"

"Not we, me," he told her, firmly.

"No," she said, shaking her head as she glared at him. "No, we are in this together. You are not doing anything without me. I am a much a part of this as you are," she exclaimed.

Draco scowled, not really liking the idea of her being in Lucius' path, but at the same time realizing that she was smart and powerful. And right, he had to admit. It was their fight, not just his. It had always been their fight and she had been fully and completely in from the beginning. Even back when she was just a fifteen year old girl, holding her hand out and offering him friendship. She would've done the same then, stood beside him through whatever happened. Before they were in love, before they were married, they were the best of friends, and they trusted one another to keep each other safe. Now there was a lot more invested and he couldn't be her hero; they had to be each other's keeper.

"Okay," he agreed, his voice quiet and low.

Hermione nodded once, before gesturing to get out. "Let me warm you up," she told him, her hand reaching out to cover his.

He shook his head, rearing back again. "No, I'm not clean yet," he told her, clenching his jaw.

Hermione stared at him pensively, her mouth tightening in a frown.

"I'm insane, aren't I?" he asked, quietly.

She shook her head, "No, you're going through shock is all." She reached around him, picking something up from the side of the tub. He stared down at her hands as she lathered a bar of soap between them. "Where is it, Draco?" she asked him, the bubbles forming over her hands. "Tell me where it is," she told him, staring into his eyes.

He stared at her a long moment, his hazy mind unsure while the small amount of himself that was still sane fell even more in love with her. He turned his hands over to her, staring down at them, he could see the dark blood marring them. She reached out and he flinched, but she took hold of his palm easily, glancing up at him reassuringly.

"It's okay," she murmured, rubbing the soap all over his hands and scrubbing at them gently. Her fingers ran over his skin slowly, turning them side to side, trying to get all of it. He watched her, his eyes blinking more rapidly from the water falling over them. She ignored the cold liquid, focusing only on him and her task. When she was finished, she lifted them up, placing a kiss on either palm. "There," she whispered before looking up to him for confirmation. "Are you clean yet?" she asked softly.

Draco turned his eyes down to his hands, finding them clean and free of any blood. They shook though and he turned his eyes up to her. He nodded once and then bowed his head for a moment. Hermione slipped between his legs, leaning up against him and wrapping her arms firmly around his shoulders. She murmured words of comfort against his neck, her hands running down his wet hair and stroking the nape of his neck.

He clutched her to him, unwilling to let her go. He buried his head against her shoulder, his warm tears slipping down his face, mixing with the cold water streaming over his head. "I promised you a real future," he breathed through clenched teeth.

"We'll have it," she told him, nodding. "I'm not giving up. Don't you give up on us," she said, her voice breaking.

"I won't," he said, shaking his head and pulling her up closer. "Not ever," he whispered, closing his eyes.

They stayed in the water awhile longer, before Hermione finally coaxed him away. She tucked him into their bed, still soaking and shivering. Wrapping herself around him, she whispered soothing words until he fell asleep against her, holding her tightly. It would be the first time Draco had a serious breakdown because of Lucius' scare tactics, but certainly not the last. His father had a lot in store for him.

Draco spent the remainder of his Christmas break/honeymoon mostly in his bedroom with Hermione. On the odd occasion that Remus would allow them to leave the confines of the house, they enjoyed their time in the back yard. Gathering up the small amount of snow on the ground, they made a miniature snowman. Hermione continued to say it a snow-_woman_, but when Draco tried to make it anatomically correct, she threw a snowball at his head and then chased him around with the snow-woman's stick arm.

Blaise, Harry, Ron, and Luna came back over to visit with them a few days before school was starting. Draco found Ron's favorite place was firmly the kitchen as he tended to stay there most of the time. Him and Blaise appeared to be getting on as if they were old friends, although their friendship seemed to be one filled with competition. Draco was about tired of hearing, "No, I can drink way more than that! I'll race you. Three butterbeers, first one done buys the other a pie!" "A pie?" "Yeah, wha' y'don't like pie?" "No, pie's good." "Okay, go!"

Harry and Luna, though still tentative and shy around each other, seemed to be a couple as far as Draco could see. They held hands virtually all the time and Luna had a crown made of bent twigs, a piece of mistletoe hanging off the front that had a tag on it stating, "Harry Only." Draco had a good time bugging Potter about it, but the boy was far too happy about the great rewards of mistletoe to care much.

After his breakdown, Draco firmly and severely decided he was not going to wait for Lucius to come after him. He told Remus this, who, though he appeared apprehensive, agreed that it might be better not to hide. Dumbledore was not so agreeable, but he did understand that it was Draco's decision. He also wasn't sure about Draco and Hermione returning to school, but after pulling a lot of strings and finally agreeing that his two top students should return, the Ministry gave him the green light, and Draco got his way.

Ron and Blaise decided they were going to become bodyguards for the couple and while they ended up looking like fools, they seemed to enjoy themselves. For safety precautions, one stood in front and one behind the couple wherever they walked around the house. They would look around each and every corner, calling back their own privately made lingo for saying whether there was trouble or it was all clear to walk through. The only time Blaise and Ron ever left them alone is when Draco and Hermione started acting like a couple instead of two charges for the boys to take care of, then they scattered and went back to challenging each other to assert their superiority.

Draco was laying on the couch in the den, Hermione was cuddled up against his side, reading the tome he held on his chest with him. They could faintly hear Luna and Harry talking about a creature her father had recently featured in the Quibbler. Remus and Tonks were walking the grounds, keeping a close eye on the outer perimeter for any unknown visitors. It was late and tomorrow was the last day before they had to be waiting at the train station for school.

Mrs. Weasley had sent food over, stating that she worried Ron would eat them out of house and home. Draco currently had a stat list of eighteen gingerbread cookies for that day and was working on number nineteen. He had also brushed his teeth four times at Hermione's last count, which she enjoyed bugging him about mercilessly.

The break had been pretty good to them. Andromeda sent him letters on occasion, his replies were sent through to Dumbledore first, and he kept the information concerning Narcissa and Lucius to himself, not wanting to worry his aunt. When he and Hermione finally got around to opening their presents, they were pleasantly surprised to find a lot of useful items. Henry and Jane had bought them new pots and pants, which Draco was delighted to see since he enjoyed cooking, though it didn't always appreciate him. While his dishes almost never came out looking like how he wanted, it always tasted fantastic.

Hagrid gave them a pet, though neither knew what it was yet as it hadn't hatched. They were both rather wary, especially after he assured them it was real gentle like and wouldn't be any bother. They kept it in the soon-to-be Study, under a heating lamp, wrapped in blankets. Hagrid refused to tell them what it was, but he did name it, "Derwynth."

Dumbledore gave them a pensieve, stating that all memories, good and bad, should be kept safely so as not to forget what it took to get to where they were. They had already added various ones and Draco found himself watching the memory of his wedding a few times. Hermione had numerous favorites, though he found she favored ones that made her laugh.

Mrs. Weasley and her husband had given them a couple books on communication for husbands and wives and a tome about child rearing, which she said in the card was "_DEFINITELY FOR MUCH LATER! You two are young! Much too young!_" Draco didn't think he and Hermione had any problems communicating, but he didn't say that to Mrs. Weasley. She also gave him a couple recipes, which he was much more excited about.

"Done?" he asked, taking the tip of the page and glancing at his wife.

"Ages ago," she told him, rolling her eyes playfully.

"Oh, so you were just rereading that last paragraph a second ago," he said, smirking.

Scoffing, she motioned for him to change the page. "Why are we reading this book again?" she asked him, moving her head on his shoulder.

"I figured we'd get a headstart. I know how prepared you like to be," he replied, smiling.

"How early a headstart?" she queried, turning to look up at him.

"Children are a lifelong commitment," he said, nodding slowly. "I think we should wait a few years. Until we have careers and really feel settled down. At least until the War is over," he told her, looking over questioningly. "What do you think?"

Smiling, she nodded. "I very much agree."

"Good," he said, turning his head back. "That gives you lots of time to study, right?" he asked with a mocking tone.

"Oh, I don't know," she replied, frowning. "We'll have to get more books and perhaps even a few videos. We should get a TV, Draco, and a VCR."

Draco grinned, shaking his head. "Sure, when we're done school and come home, we'll look into getting a TV," he assured.

"Home," she murmured, sighing. "I really love how that sounds."

Moving his arm to wrap around her shoulders, he nodded, turning to press a kiss to her forehead. "Me too."

"No way, I told you, I can eat forty-two chocolate frogs and I can," Ron told Blaise as he walked through the den, shaking his head.

"No bloody way, I want you to prove it. I still say you can't get past fifteen! Harry! Harry, you'll never guess what Ron just said he could eat forty-two of," Blaise shouted, hurrying ahead of the ginger haired boy in front of him. He nearly took a spill when the rug caught under his feet, but managed to catch his balance. Ron pushed him, chuckling over his loss of balance.

"You two be careful," Hermione chastised. "You shouldn't be running around in the house like that. One of you could get hurt," she told them, shaking her head. "And nobody is eating forty-two chocolate frogs. You'll be sick and I don't want to be up all night rubbing your back as you throw them back up," she said firmly.

"Yes mum," Blaise and Ron said simultaneously, grinning at each other and then hurrying out of the room to find Harry.

Draco smirked, his amusement obvious. "I think you've studied enough," he said, closing the book and tossing it to the floor beside the couch. Rolling onto his side, he faced her, moving a curl off her cheek as she turned to him. Her hand rested against his chest, over his heart, while her finger tapped the beat it belted out.

"Are you ready for Tuesday?" he asked, his hand splaying out over her back, fingers moving slowly in circles over her sweater.

She sighed, her eyes falling for a moment. "It's going to be... interesting, to see how everybody reacts to our arrival," she told him.

"I don't care about them, I want to know what you think about it all," he told her, moving his arm up so his hand wrapped lightly around the nape of her neck. "Are you ready for this?" he wondered.

Hermione looked up, her eyes connecting with his. "Yes," she told him softly. "I'm a little worried, but... I'm ready," she assured.

"We'll be together the whole way," he reminded, his fingers skimming over her skin. "Just like before, we've got each to lean back on."

"I know," she said, nodding.

Leaning in, Draco brought her closer, pressing his lips against hers warmly. Her arm lifted, wrapping around his side and pressing into his back. She laughed lightly, before pulling back, "I love your Weasley sweater, have I told you that?" she asked, grinning.

Rolling his eyes, Draco looked down at the green and silver wool sweater adorning his upper body. "Yeah, it's a real eyesight, hm?" he said, smiling.

Nodding, Hermione tipped her head, capturing his grinning mouth with her own. His fingers threaded through her hair, keeping her face close to his as her body turned to mold against his. She ran her tongue along the bottom of his top lip, making him shiver as he grazed her mouth with his teeth. He felt a light tug on his hair, something she tended to do when she was enjoying something. He found it rather adorable, though he never told her about her little quirk. They broke apart, panting, when they overheard Blaise and Ron talking as they walked back into the den.

"I can too," Blaise proclaimed, "I'll race you. One Christmas cake each, first one done gets the last box of Peppermint Toads!"

"You're on! And no butterbeer or milk to wash it down either," Ron told him, waving his arm dramatically.

"No problem, Weasley, it'll be you regretting that one later!" he accused, nodding with a bold grin.

"We'll see about that, Zabini! I happen t'love Christmas cake. Isn't that right, 'Mione?" he asked, turning to her with a sharp nod.

"Er, yeah," she said, sounding more like she was questioning him.

"Well I love it more," Blaise told him, walking quickly toward the kitchen.

"Nobody loves Christmas cake more than me," Ron replied, shaking his head and hurrying after him.

Draco furrowed his brow, staring after them and shaking his head. The front door opened, revealing a laughing Lupin and Tonks. "Sing it again, Remus!" she cried out, grinning.

Chuckling, he shook his head, "Later, Dora," he told her, catching sight of Hermione and Draco. "Well, how are you two doing tonight? Any problems while we were gone?" he asked, looking around suspiciously.

"I'd keep an eye on Ron and Blaise," Hermione told them, motioning to the kitchen. "I have a feeling they're going to eat themselves sick before the night is out."

Nodding grimly, Remus turned and started making his way toward the kitchen, "Ron, Blaise, what did I tell you two about having food races? It's not healthy and you make too much of a mess. If you're going to do it, do it over the sink!" he called to them. "And chew properly! Oh, and uh, eat something more nutritious!"

Tonks chortled, shaking her head and turning back to them. "Where're Luna and Harry?" she asked, curiously.

"Last I saw, they were taking a walk around the house," Draco told her, shrugging.

"Hm, did you know she's been inspecting the mistletoe? She says she thinks there are Nargle eggs in them, just waiting to hatch," Tonks told them, shaking her head and rolling her eyes upward. "I'm just glad Harry's been able to distract her."

"Yeah, I think he's happy with the arrangement too," Draco replied, smiling amusedly.

Letting out a soft sigh, Tonks turned to them, "So what are you two planning for your last day before school?" she wondered, sounding rather sad.

"I guess we won't be seeing you much after we go back, will we," Hermione said, frowning lightly.

"Oh, well I'm sure I'll be around. Dumbledore will probably keep Remus and I around you two for the first while, even if we're in the shadows. Have to make sure you're really safe, you know," she told them, smiling lightly.

"I wasn't planning on leaving the bedroom," Draco said, answering her earlier question.

"Draco," Hermione chastised, rolling her eyes.

"What? I figured I'd sleep in," he said, smirking, "Geez, Hermione, get your mind out of the gutter."

Snorting, Hermione cocked her brow at him. She turned back to Tonks a moment later, "Harry and Ron are going back home to spend their last day with Mrs. Weasley. She's been very emotional lately and is already getting upset about seeing all her children off again. Blaise is spending tomorrow with his sister in London and Luna, I think, is going with her father on a day trip to Romania. She said something about an advanced form of Billywig," she told her, shrugging. "I think my parents wanted to spend the day visiting. Draco promised we'd catch them up on the complete happenings of the last month, so we'll be busy for awhile with that."

Tonks nodded, tapping her chin with thought, "And d'you have everything packed for school?" she wondered.

Draco tipped his head in agreeance. "Our trunks are ready and packed," he assured. "Are you sure taking the train is the best idea?" he queried, frowning.

She bobbed her head, "Yes, there are going to be various Order members walking the whole of the train, keeping an eye on things. Dumbledore is a little worried about everybody's safety. Because nobody knows for a fact that you two are returning to school, it's just a safety precaution."

"Better safe than sorry," Hermione said quietly.

"Tonks," Remus called out, sounding rather excited. "Com'ere, you gotta see this. I've never seen anybody eat Christmas cake so fast! Not even Sirius could devour a loaf this quick!" he exclaimed.

Chuckling, Tonks shook her head but turned to join him in the kitchen where the action was happening.

Left in silence, Hermione and Draco snuggled closer and relaxed into the couch. There was a faint buzzing in the air from the other people in the house, but for the most part, it was the simple sound of their breathing mixed with their faint heartbeats, drumming away together. It was relaxing, so much so that he nearly forgot every problem he had. He felt like he did whenever he stayed with the Grangers. Safe, comfortable, at home.

A fire crackled across the room, warming the atmosphere and leaving them with a peaceful disposition. Hermione slipped her head beneath his chin, resting her cheek against his chest and wrapping her arm loosely over his side. Her legs tangled with his at the end of the couch. "I wish we could stay like this," she whispered. "Right here, right now, forever. It feels so right, so calm, like there's nothing out there that can ruin it."

Stroking her back, he closed his eyes. "Six months to graduation and then we can come back here," he told her quietly.

"But what if... What if this is the last time we have here?" she asked softly, her voice shaking.

"It's not," he replied, firmly.

"But--"

"No," he stopped her, hugging her against his chest. "We'll go to school, we'll clean this mess up with my father, we'll fight the war, and then we'll come back here. And we'll have our happily ever after. No 'to be continued's,' or dark ending where people make up their own mind on how it played out. We'll conquer, we'll win, and then we'll just be me and you again. Without the hiding or the questioning gaze of the world on us. We'll live out our lives like we want, with our friends and our family." Turning his head down, he kissed the top of her hair. "No more worries. I already know how this ends."

"Oh? And where did you get this information?" she asked, her voice amused and littered with laughter.

"Our writer and I struck a deal," he told her, simply. "She gives us what we want and we are her loyal servants to write all the enjoyable love scenes she wants."

"I do believe, Mr. Malfoy, that you are just using this as an excuse to get me to bed," she replied cheekily.

Draco sighed dramatically, "Did it work?"

Chuckling, Hermione sat up. "Yes," she replied, nodding as she leaned in to kiss him. "But only if you can catch me," she said, hopping off the couch and turning to run down the hall.

Laughing, Draco chased after her, catching her right beside the stairs and throwing her over his shoulder. Squealing, Hermione kicked her legs, "How very caveman of you," she said, crossing her arms as best she could.

Draco made a grunting noise to goad her assertion of him. Making his way to their bedroom, he dropped her on the bed and detoured to the bathroom. "Where are you going?" she asked, her brow furrowing.

Stopping in front of the sink, he motioned to her with his toothbrush, "What d'you think?" he asked, lifting his brow. "This smile doesn't look this good for no reason."

Sighing as she flopped backwards on the bed, Hermione rolled her eyes as she grinned, "Five," she mumbled, snorting lightly as she thought over her husband's love for dental care. She still blamed it on her mother; the woman just had to bring up plaque.

"You know Hermione," Draco called out, his words partly muffled as he spat out a gob of toothpaste. "Christmas is the time of year when cavities hit a peak."

Through the mirror, Draco watched Hermione lay on her side, her head propped up in her hand as she admired him with a faint smile on her face. After finishing his teeth, he rinsed his mouth and pat it dry with a towel hanging on the rack nearby. Walking into the bedroom, he laid down beside her, running his hand down her side.

"I love you, Hermione Malfoy," he whispered, leaning into kiss her as she rolled onto her back and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

* * *

**A/N** _Sorry for the very late update, but it took me a bit to get back into writing. The next chapter will be taking them back to Hogwarts and all the mystery! Hope you enjoyed this. Thanks for reading!_

_Much Love,  
-**Amanda**_


	36. On Guard

**Review offering insight to the story:**

"_Humbled by your abilty to write yet again, I reveiw and must tell you how excited I was to see that you had updated! It was another wonderful chapter with the added bonus of references to yourself, (quite brilliant might I add) and Dracos obsession with Dental Hygeiene is such an admirable little quirk of his. Ron and Blaise and the Chocolate cards scenario is just the cutest, most homey-feeling scene to describe and again every character is described to such a consistent perfection (not that they are perfect-cept Draco- but that they dont suddenly change during the fic like others I've read) and its almost as if you have them sat on your shelf ready to animate each time you need them. Had I not already read HBP I would beg you to take over, and this might sound quite...corny, but you really are better than JK, you know your characters so well, its endearing. Looking forward to your next update, as with every fic you write_." - **_mimbulus-mimbletonia_** of FanFiction net.

**Thank you to the following reviewers of** Chapter Thirty-Four - _**Ready or Not**_?: _cmtaylor531, sasmith, Laendra, Phoenix flame01, Weaselbee, Mrs. St. John Allerdyce, Aurelia Malfoy, Hotkat144, cle be, xx.Live.Yours.Dreams.xx, Caligirl-HPLVR, blackrose2010, anie smiles, Zarroc, chickengirl, bethygirl94, Life Is Truely Great, YourBeautifulDisaster, XxstarlightxX, thedustbunny, Jester08, your fic is so awesome, Steelo, cOoLlOsErS1902, cherry666, fictionwriter191, Michelle Felton, Athene Saile, Elven at Heart, **broadwaychick07, niic smiles, annieca, mskiti, Girl With A Pen, ravenloganx3, Marionette, Protected by an Angel**_ and _especially **mimbulus-mimbletonia, Classic Pairs Shipper (Emma), UniTexasWriter11 (Emily),**_ and_** galloping-goose (Zeus).**_

**To:**_ My stalkerish (lol) reviewer **Emma**, Happy (belated) Birthday!_

_**Growing**_

_Chapter Thirty-Five_

_On Guard_

Hermione sat on the edge of her bed, watching as Draco finished packing their things away in a trunk they were given from McGonagall. They would be leaving for King's Cross station any minute now and she felt the stir of nerves in her stomach making her swallow thickly. Her Christmas break had been wonderful for her, with the exception of what happened the morning of Boxing Day. She had fallen into a blissful comfort of being Draco's wife and she hadn't once questioned their decision. Living at their new home had been a warm embrace after the turmoil they had been suffering in and out of Hogwarts. She found herself linked to the house, wanting never to leave, only to enjoy its every nook and cranny.

It wasn't so much school that she didn't want to go back to. In all truth, she was missing her studies and the knowledge her professors held. It was more of who she would meet upon her arrival back, and what those people would have to say. She was a strong witch, one who took pride in being confident and courageous. However, people were bound to say things when she came back with Draco. Not only about what she had done to Pansy, which was blown out of context, but also because she was now _with_ Draco. Not just his best friend, but in their eyes his girlfriend. They wouldn't know he was her husband and that thought was rather depressing. There was a small voice in her head that wanted her to shout it from the rooftops, announce it to every person who passed her, or just plain throw up a banner exclaiming it. She held that in of course, knowing he would have more than a little to say about her enthusiasm in an arrogantly proud way, and of course for safety purposes.

Ever since Christmas, Draco had taken to calling her his wife at every turn. If someone asked a question, he somehow managed to add her in with, "Oh my wife...," or, "Ask my wife," and that one time when she overheard him mention to Blaise, "I spent the entire night with my wife, what did you do that was anywhere near as stimulating?" She figured it was much like the 'fiance' thing, where he enjoyed saying it, because there was a nice ring to it in his mind. In any case, she enjoyed hearing it slip off his tongue as if the most natural thing in the world. She would miss it at school, and wondered briefly if he'd start calling her his girlfriend at every opportunity.

"They're ready to go, love," Draco's voice interrupted her thoughts. She looked up, her fingers fiddling in her lap and worried her lip with apprehension. He knelt in front of her, his large hands coming up to hold hers, thumbs brushing reassuringly over her knuckles. He stared up at her face and she felt a small sigh exit her lips, he was really quite handsome. "It's going to be fine. It'll be a shock for them at first, but we've got three of the staff on our side and four friends who aren't going to abandon us for anything." He half smiled, his eyes were warm and comforting as they connected with hers. "And I'll be right there beside you the whole time. I'm the one holding your hand," he clarified, nodding. "Or snogging you senseless in the broom closet. Oh, and certainly the one kissing you here," he said, leaning in and pressing his mouth sweetly to hers. He leaned in until she fell back on the bed, her eyes fluttering closed. "And here," he moved down to her neck, his hands lifting hers up and holding them against their bed as he lavished her throat. "And certainly here," he added, moving down and affectionately drew a circle over her stomach of calming kisses.

Hermione let out a tickled laugh, his breath and lips sending shivers over her skin. She felt the twist of worry in her stomach change to that of a flutter of adoration for her husband. Letting go of one of his hands, she slipped it into his hair, drawing him up so he was face to face with her. Her expression softened, eyes half closed and mouth turned up in a smile. "Thank you," she said quietly.

"Don't thank me, it's what I do now. I've found being a husband has many great qualities," he told her, a small smirk adorning his features. Running the tips of his fingers down the curve of her face, he leaned in to press a kiss against her forehead, letting his lips linger and cradling her closer to his body. Pulling away, he leaned his face against hers, and Hermione closed her eyes, enjoying one of their last moments at home, alone together.

They were interrupted a few moments later when Lupin told them it was time to go. Meeting Jane and Henry downstairs, they said their goodbyes, promising to send word through Dumbledore. Hermione's parents were going to be moved to another safe house, just to be safe, but they wanted to be absolutely sure that their daughter and son in law would be all right back at the school that had easily shunned them. Helena and Hermione and Draco's wedding gift of the unknown pet were going to Hogwarts to be cared for by Hagrid until graduation. Seeing as there was no one to watch over them and the Auror's didn't like having the dog around the two Granger parents, since it could be a hindrance in escaping if there was trouble.

To avoid using too many things magical, Lupin decided to drive Hermione and Draco to King's Cross and from there, they'd board the Hogwarts Express, along with all the other students. They were going to be showing up earlier than the rest though; Dumbledore and The Order thought it would be better to keep them hidden from the rest of the school until they were in a less crowded and small area. Hence, they had to be wearing cloaks that covered their faces when they moved from the train to the carriages and then up to the school. Hermione nearly scoffed at it all, feeling as if it were a bit much, but when she thought it over, the confines of the train could be hazardous to them, especially if they were caught in one of the compartments, they could easily be stunned, given that there was no escape but the door the attacker would be in.

The ride to London was silent, with Tonks and Remus exchanging worried glances every few minutes and Draco holding Hermione in the backseat. She sat in the middle so she could lean into his side, her arm laying possessively over his stomach. He watched the scenery go by outside, a finger against his chin telling her he was deep in thought. His hand moved up and down her back absently, a lulling sensation that made her feel more comforted. She drew off his strength, telling herself that she needn't be worried. They had each other, they had the support of the professors and their friends, so it was unlikely that anything would meet them at the school, or on the way to it.

Before she knew it, they were standing at King's Cross station, their hoods up and their hands linked as they walked in between Tonks and Remus, their shrunken trunk was sitting in Draco's pants pocket so that there were no hindrances if a fight broke out. Hermione's back stiffened and her eyes darted around suspiciously. Seeing as they were in rather suspicious clothes, their faces covered, people tended to look their way out of curiosity. Making their way onto Platform 9 ¾ Hermione's hand held the side of her hood, unsure what she should do now. The other students wouldn't be arriving for a good half hour.

"Wait here, I'll check the progress of the Auror's and Order members," Remus told them, leaving them with one last firm glance before he climbed onto the waiting train.

Hermione didn't realize she was shaking until Draco moved her in front of him, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder. "We're surrounded by people meant to keep us safe," he whispered, squeezing her lightly. "I wouldn't let anyone get to you anyway, you know that," he added, his voice breathy and calming.

She relaxed, letting her body fall back against his chest, where he cradled it. He whispered soothing words to her, while she let her eyes fall shut and allowed his voice to swallow her whole. She wasn't sure how much time went by, simply basking in her husband's comfort. She felt his body move away from hers and straighten up, making her frown in her want to have it back where it was. She realized then that they were expected to board the train though and kept her thoughts to herself. Draco held tightly to her hand as they walked down the middle of the aisle and stopped at a secure compartment. Remus led them in and got them settled before he and Tonks told them they were going to recheck the train. The sliding door was locked and the window was darkened so nobody could see through it.

Draco sat in the corner, his legs sprawled out over the seat while his back leaned against the wall. He pulled her down into his lap, holding her in his arms while they silently contemplated what was going to happen in the near future. No words were exchanged, anything involving reassurance had already been said. Hermione didn't want anymore sympathy or understanding, she just wanted to relish being with just him for as long as she could. Her fears were pushed to the back of her mind, while she closed her eyes and leaned her head back against his shoulder. She could hear his heartbeat faintly through his thick robes and sweater.

She hadn't realized she had fallen asleep until there was a banging on the compartment door. Draco held her back from leaping off of him in fright. He placed his index finger against his lips, telling her to be very quiet. He moved without sound and she pulled her wand slowly from her robes, readying herself. It was all for nothing though, as Draco cast a revealing charm, only to find Ron, Harry, and Luna on the other side of the door. Unlocking it, he allowed them inside before using another locking charm on the door and moving back to sit where he was.

Hermione's shoulder slumped as she put her wand back, feeling a little more foolish and less scared. Draco wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer to his side and simply reminded her that being cautious is better than dead. They then turned their attention to their friends, one of which looked ready to burst with stories and laughter.

"So yesterday right, mum spent hours goin' on about how Christmas hols should be longer, eh, and I completely agree, but she goes outta her way to write Dumbledore somethin' like a Howler!" Ron tells them, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open. "'Course she used 'lotta words like, "my poor babies," and "little Ronnie," and such, but can you imagine what the Headmaster thought when he got it?" he wondered, his face turning bright red with his laughter.

Blaise appeared not long after; he and Ron got into a heated game of Wizard's Chess where it was anybodies guess as to who would win. Remus and Tonks reappeared, telling them the train was going to start moving and that they wouldn't be allowed out of the compartment from then on. Ron protested, saying he wanted some sweets from the trolley. After rolling his eyes, Remus took his money to hold onto and get the treats for him when the lady came by. After awhile, things began to settle down and the six people inside the compartment were almost completely at ease. Hermione did her best to act as though it were any other train ride back to school and talked with Harry about the assignments she missed and even helped him on his holiday homework that he hadn't finished up. She could hear Draco and Luna talking about various magical creatures, and smiled to herself, knowing that Draco always enjoyed the wild stories Luna had to tell about her father's most recent discovery in the animal realm.

Time seemed to speed by and Hermione felt so relaxed her mind forgot about what was to come for the short time. She could tell Harry was rather anxious to get back to school, though it was more of a discomfort rather than his usual excitement. His eyes moved back and forth from Hermione to Draco every once and awhile and she knew that he was becoming worried about what would happen when they returned to the school. She wanted to reassure him that with all the professors around, they were sure to be safe, but she couldn't pretend much longer. She firmly believed that Draco would do all that was in his power to keep her from harms way, and vice versa, but there was only so much that can be done when faced with a behemoth of adversaries.

She pushed the thoughts away, wanting nothing more than to engulf herself in her studies and help Harry along in his essay. She relished in the scratching of the quill against parchment as he listed what she had to say, nodding every once in awhile. His eyes glossed over once in a while and she took this as her cue that she had lost him somewhere. So she slowed down and re-explained to him the Centaur battle against the Lapiths. She almost felt like her old self, having her books out as she tried to help one of her best friends finish up homework before they returned to school. Of course, usually that friend is Ron and not Harry, but it seemed the Boy-Who-Lived had a blonde distraction as of late, which was only too wonderful in Hermione's opinion.

When Harry's homework was nearly finished, Ron admitted he had a few questions on some of the homework assignments he had been given and lugged out his books. With a resigned sigh, Blaise also admitted that he still needed help with Arithmancy and pulled the large book from his trunk. Hermione immediately went into her Know-It-All ways, and began helping them through everything, answering questions when they were asked and trying to explain everything to Ron in a way that wouldn't have him frustrated. She found Draco staring at her a few times, a fond expression on his face and she simply smiled back. At one point, she got so caught up in smiling back at him, that she hadn't noticed Ron tugging on her arm, trying to get her attention. Finally coming to her senses, she turned back to Ron, who was whining like a petulant child over something he referred to as "complete dragon shite".

Leaving the two boys to finish their work, Hermione took over Luna's now empty seat beside Draco and leaned her head down on his shoulder, her hand lifting to rest on his abdomen. He sat back against the wall, his arm around her rather tightly. She could tell by his rigid torso that he was beginning to give in to his concern over what would happen upon their arrival at school, which was quickly approaching. "D'you remember when we were sixteen, and you tied that rope to the highest branch of the biggest tree by the river?" she asked him, hoping to distract him.

He grinned slowly, looking down at her. "Yeah, and it took us three hours to convince Claire to give it a go. But when she finally did, it had come undone from the knot and she fell into the water from much higher up then she was supposed to, screaming so much we thought she might not have taken a breath before she went under." He shook his head. "She was so angry when she came back up," he said with a quiet laugh.

"It didn't help that her brother Jack was laughing at her when she did," Hermione reminded, smiling lightly.

"It was funny," Draco said, shrugging. "Remember when we threw that bonfire down at the lake?" He smirked, "Very exclusive and high brow!"

She grinned, rolling her eyes, "There were only six or seven of us, roasting marshmallows and hotdogs," she replied, fondly. "You and the boys threw all the girls into the water, if I remember correctly."

"Mm, that was that kid Taylor's fault," he told her, his brows raising. "And you girls got your revenge later," he said with a grimace.

Hermione laughed, nuzzling her head beneath his chin. "You deserved that," she assured.

"Yeah, you try waking up naked on a beach, surround by men and we'll see how you feel," he replied, his tone light.

"Well, you and Jack have run starkers down the street on a dare, I didn't think waking up naked beside him would be all that different," she said, trying to stifle her laughter.

"Yeah, well," he cleared his throat, "Taylor's a bit of a cuddler," he admitted, his neck heating up.

Hermione couldn't hold it in and burst into laughter, her eyes shining with amusement.

Draco rolled his eyes, but he couldn't hide the chuckle that escaped him over the memory. "Why were we sleeping on the beach again?" he wondered, his brow furrowed.

"We all decided to camp out there," Hermione reminded, letting out a content sigh as her giggles ended. "It was late and Jack had brought around a case of beer, so our friends were all a little sloshed. A few of them passed out on the sand, so we stayed around talking for awhile, in hopes that they would wake up. When they didn't, we decided to camp out with them instead of leaving them there alone, especially with the fire still going." She shook her head, smiling, "I remember one of the girls woke me up, I was wrapped up in your arms and had no idea what she was doing there. Scared the wits right out of me," she told him, shaking her head. "She proposed a little payback and though you were quite reluctant to let go, I managed to squirm out of your grasp without waking you up. Then it was only a matter of who was easiest to drag where," she explained shrugging.

"And whose idea was it to take off all our clothes?" he queried, cocking his brow and smirking at her.

"Not mine," she told him, shaking her head. "As if I wanted to see Taylor and Jack's bits," she said, disgusted. Draco laughed, but nodded for her to continue. "I think it was that girl Claire brought along. I don't remember her name." Tapping her chin, Hermione tried to search through her mind, but found only a face. The girl was short, had messy pink hair that she arranged in random spikes, and sparkling green eyes. She had quite the personality and was always up for the craziest of things. She changed her nickname daily and wouldn't answer to anything but, which made things complicated, especially if you didn't know her nickname and was trying to ask what it was. But she was an all around fun girl that day, though Hermione could only take her in small sittings. Her and Draco hung out with her off and on that summer, but only with Claire around.

Draco tipped his head in though, "I think her real name was Sloan," he said, his brow furrowed.

"Sounds about right," Hermione agreed, shrugging. "In any case, she was the one who thought it would be utterly hilarious if we stripped you and left you all beside each other. There was enough space between you so you would know nothing naughty happened, but I guess Taylor rolled closer at some point."

Draco shook his head amusedly, his hand stroking her side as he relaxed against her. "Got a good show then?" he asked, looking down at her with eyes she certainly recognized now. He often gazed at her this way just before he coaxed her into bed and ravaged her completely. Given that they were sitting in a compartment, surrounded by four of their closest friends, she knew that wasn't going to happen. She truly wished she were back at their house though and suddenly very much missed the warmth of her husband's body pressed against hers.

Shaking her head, she tried to free it from its suddenly very heated thoughts. Feeling a blush creep up her neck, she tried not to let her voice wobble, as it often did when she got distracted by his soft mouth or smooth hands. "No, actually, it was quite dark and the moon was only at half that night. The fire was nearly out and so we hardly saw a thing. By the time I woke up, you were nearly completely dressed. It's not as if I hadn't seen it before, what with the show you gave me that one day," she bugged, hoping to turn the attention back to him and leave her bedroom thoughts in the dust. Perhaps when they returned to the Head Tower...

Draco cleared his throat, looking momentarily flushed, "Like I knew you were going to walk into the bedroom at half past one in the morning," he replied, frowning. "Besides, I was a normal, growing boy, that was practically expected," he told her, his eyes turned down.

She chuckled, "Yes, I guess it was. I just hadn't thought I'd ever actually _see_ you doing it. And, I'm not sure I really considered what a boy of your age would be doing late at night, all alone," she admitted, her brow furrowed. "I was quite innocent, you know, and you sullied me completely," she accused playfully.

"Well, someone had to corrupt you, and recently it's become quite a hobby of mine," he replied, smirking as his hand skirted up her thigh slowly. She inhaled sharply, her eyes fluttering for a moment and then looked up at him with a stern expression that didn't quite reach her eyes as she fell victim to his tender touch. She nearly forgot all about the fact that they were on their way to school, and their four best mates could clearly see them. The train lurched slightly and Remus knocked on the door three times in a certain beat to let them know they were coming upon Hogsmeade station.

With the simple noise, it appeared as though the entire compartment stilled and stiffened. Faces turned grim, homework was forgotten, and the once comforting chitter chatter that claimed the small room evaporated to nothing but the anxious breathing of six teenagers. After changing into their robes, sans Draco and Hermione who were still dressed in theirs, they waited for the final stop at the station. Remus had informed them all that he'd have a couple carriages waiting for them, since they would be leaving last from the train. There was a long moment where they all sat together, eyes wide, breathing heavy, bodies rigid. Time escaped them, feeling like a drawn out curse that just wouldn't end.

When finally Remus knocked three times, that same beat to alert them, he told them that nothing had gone wrong and it was their turn to leave. With unsure steps, they picked up their luggage and exited the compartment to make their way across the desolate platform and to the waiting carriages. They stood, surrounded by Auror's, dressed like any other wizard, each pretending to have a conversation, and looking as though they didn't have a care in the world. Hermione could tell though, she could see through the act of civilian to the alert and ready Auror's and Order members hiding inside. Remus and Tonks checked both carriages thoroughly before allowing any of the children inside and then one sat with each group of three on the way to the castle.

Blaise stared out the carriage, his face strained, though Hermione found that when he noticed her looking he did his best to smile reassuringly. Remus' eyes were everywhere, watching and waiting for any sign of trouble, though nothing came about. Draco held Hermione's hand, mildly tight, and kept his eyes firmly on her. In her opinion, she'd rather set her gaze on her husband than the unusually foreboding stature of the grand castle school. He held that question in his silver eyes, the one he always had when it seemed things were going badly, "_Promise_?" She squeezed his hand in response, letting her reassurance seep through her palm and strengthen him.

"All right there, Draco?" Remus asked, apparently catching the worried expression on Draco's face, which wasn't surprising since he appeared to be watching numerous things at once.

"Just trying to memorize my wife before she reverts back to being my girlfriend to the public," Draco murmured, his voice verging on teasing but not quite making it.

Remus frowned, looking quite disheartened by Draco's words. Hermione noticed that her former professor seemed to get along much better with Draco recently. She often found them chatting in the early morning, going on about anything and everything under the sun. She quite liked seeing him share his comfortable smile, as he had so often hidden it from anyone he didn't dub the most truest of allies. Whether that meant Remus was an ally Draco saw as trustworthy, or his guard had come down enough to welcome friendship, Hermione wasn't sure.

"Does your wife and girlfriend look different?" Blaise asked, forcing cheer into his voice.

"My girlfriend never let me take her clothes off, so I suppose that accounts for appearance," Draco replied, lifting his brow, though his usual smirk wasn't there. "Except for those two times, but she took her own clothes off then."

"What's this then?" Remus asked, sounding rather sour.

Hermione noticed the hint of grin that appeared on Draco's face and realized her husband was trying to prick Remus' interest to alleviate the pressure. She sighed, shaking her head, and rolling her eyes at Blaise's obvious wink.

"Yeah, there was the one time when she was soaking wet and completely starkers, just standing around," Draco said, his voice nearing airy, but his face rather fond and reminiscent. She wondered how long it would be until Draco let them in on the fact that she had just gotten out of the shower and her towel had been snagged off her accidentally. "And the other time, when she came running into my bedroom, shirtless and panting," he added, a faint smirk appearing. She rolled her eyes and scoffed, remembering how Draco had screamed like a girl when he found Pansy Parkinson naked and trying to disgustingly seduce him into bed. Draco made a mock confused face, "You know, actually, we weren't even dating then," he said, letting out a soft chuckle.

Remus stared at Draco and then turned his attention to Hermione, who promptly blushed furiously, tugging on Draco's hand to fix the error.

He grinned at her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her closer. "Have to say, I prefer my wife's strip show though, rather than my best friend's," he teased her, leaning in and pressing his lips against her forehead.

She scoffed, snuggling against his chest and sighing. "I'm not sure you want me sharing the misdeeds of boyfriend and/or best friend, as opposed to my husband, would you?" she warned, her mouth turning up in a small smirk.

"Shutting up now," he assured, jovially, running his hand up and down her arm soothingly.

As they reached the school, Remus made them stay in the carriage so he could do a perimeter check. Hermione and Draco took the time to replace their heavy hoods over their head, wanting to keep their appearance hidden for as long as possible. If they could, they wouldn't reveal themselves until absolutely necessary, which would likely be the welcome back feast. After being given the go-ahead by Remus, they exited the carriage, where Hermione immediately slipped her arm around Draco's waist, wanting to be as close to him as possible. Even with her hood covering most of her face, she kept her eyes moving around swiftly, needing to be on alert. She checked to see that Harry, Luna, and Ron were with them and unscathed, even though she knew she would have been informed had something happened to the carriage behind them.

"Don't worry, Princess," Blaise told her, reaching out and squeezing her shoulder. "Soon enough this will all be over and we can go back to the regular swing of things, huh?" he said, winking at her.

"Eh, Blaise," Ron called out, "Bet'cha I can eat more at supper than you," he challenger.

Blaise frowned, his brow furrowing before he turned back and shook his head. "No way, Weasley, you may have won at dinner last night, but I'll show you tonight! I just had too many butterbeers last night, I'm sure of it!" he told him, nodding quickly. He began walking backwards, talking to his friend but keeping his place beside Hermione.

Hermione shook her head at the odd display of friendship and continued on her walk to the school. Surrounded by Auror's and Order members, they were directed to the Great Hall, where they all had to stop, nobody going in until Remus had secured the room as best he could with such overwhelming odds of students and professors. He returned a few minutes later, looking annoyed and coming over to speak to her and Draco.

Sighing, he motioned for everybody guarding them, but Tonks, to begin searching the school and grounds just to be safe. Though the school had already been swept earlier, Remus was a stickler for absolute safety, no loose ends. He stared hard at Hermione and Draco, trying to impress upon them the seriousness of everything. "Tonks and I will be around if you need us," he told them, nodding slowly. "Guards will be placed outside of the Head Tower portrait for awhile, and Dumbledore has been given permission to employ a good portion of Auror's to begin guarding the school as a whole. This isn't only because of you though, but also because of the commotion Voldemort has been causing," he told them, turning to look at Harry with concealed anguish. "For awhile, Tonks and I will be coming with you almost everywhere you go. You often won't know we're there. We won't come in the Tower, however," he assured, catching Draco's mildly perturbed and worried expression. "Unless there is good reason, you will have complete privacy there." With that and a nod, he told them they could go inside the Great Hall.

Everybody seemed to take a deep breath simultaneously, which left them chuckling quietly. Hermione turned to Draco, pulling her hood back a little so she could see him. "Are we all going in together?" she wondered, her voice loud enough for all to hear.

"United we stand, divided we fall," Blaise told her, straightening up to his full height and adopting a mocking smirk. "Ready?" he asked everyone, straightening out his robes and reaching out to clasp the handle to the door.

Luna nodded at him, her face losing its dreamy exterior to become rather concerned. Hermione noticed her grip on Harry's hand, but Luna was too preoccupied to care. Harry, though wincing every once in a while, took it in stride and nodded to both Blaise and the newly married couple. Ron stepped forward, sniffing the air and mentioning that he couldn't wait to eat, though he didn't sound nearly as cheerful as he usually did.

Hermione stared up at Draco, taking in his glowering expression. He swallowed noticeably and then squeezed her tight against his side. After clearing his throat, he humorlessly said, "Let's not keep our public waiting."

Pulling open the door with a flourish, Blaise walked inside and wagged his finger at Ron, "Race doesn't start 'til we're both sitting and have our plates full," he told him, grinning goodnaturedly.

Harry wrapped his arm around Luna's shoulder and squeezed her lightly before whispering something against her ear and bidding her goodbye until after dinner. He then followed Ron to the table and took his seat, glancing back at the cloaked couple off and on, barely hiding his concern. Draco walked her to her table, acting as though he wasn't covered head to toe in a billowing black cloak. He stood behind her when they reached the seat beside Harry and reached in front of her to slowly undo the clasp of their cover, giving her a moment to stop him if she so wanted. She felt her breathing increase, but she was adamant on not showing fear and didn't lift her shaking hands to stop him from revealing her. She felt him slip the shoulders of the cloak away and then pulled it from her completely, letting her be seen by all.

There was a collective gasp ringing through the Hall, which Hermione chose to ignore. She felt a small nudge in her back from Draco, telling her to sit down and complied, if only to stop the shaking of her legs. Draco threw back his hood, looking as though it were the most natural thing ever. Instead of retreating to his table immediately, he leaned closer to her in what would appear a rather bold move to onlookers and pressed his lips against hers in a slow, thorough kiss. "I'll see you after dinner, love," he told her, his voice soft, before he kissed her temple and took his leave to his table, where Blaise sat waiting, grinning widely.

With that conversation broke out everywhere, and Hermione was hardpressed to ignore it. She spoke with Harry, trying to act as though she couldn't hear the cold and grating words of her peers. They all had a theory, each of them had an idea of what could have happened. Various girls were sneering at her, numerous people were glaring, and she worked hard to keep her face serene and unbothered. Dumbledore made a speech about school unity and explained that there would be various guards set up around the whole of the school for the protection of all. She ate languidly, wanting to find some kind of peace in the school she once found calming and reassuring.

Christmas decorations still covered the Great Hall and left everything looking cheerful and bright. It reminded her faintly of her wedding and a warm smile broke out on her mouth. Her finger unconsciously played with her wedding band and she forced herself to pay attention to Harry, making all the background voices just a rush of noise. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Ron hurriedly eating, while staring down his opponent across the way, a glint of mischief in his gaze. He and Blaise had become an interesting duo of sorts, now referring to each other, when outside of competitions, as BAS (pronounced Baz) and RAS (pronounced Raz), mostly out of their amusing nicknames of Special Agent Blaise, and Special Agent Ron, for their escapade as Draco and Hermione's bodyguards. Taking the initials S.A.B and S.A.R, they turned them around backwards and made something understandable. It was odd and rather absurd, but they had so much fun doing it that Hermione merely rolled her eyes at their weird display of friendly affection.

By the time dinner had finished, Hermione's stomach was in knots. She had tried her best to pretend it was all okay, but she had the overwhelming worry that any minute pandemonium would break out and she'd be slaughtered. Despite her foreboding worries, dinner ended on a fine note and Draco came by to take her back to the Head Tower when she was finished and looking weary enough to fall asleep right there at the table. Most of the Great Hall had emptied out, but there were still various students gawking at the outward display of affection for one another, which clearly stated they were much more than friends. The rumors that they were a couple which had previously been circulating, were no doubt now revealed as true.

After bidding goodnight to Ron, Blaise, Luna, and Harry, they left to make their way up to the Head Tower. They were sure that Blaise and possibly Luna would be joining them later that night. Blaise would take the couch and Luna would likely sleep in the vacated bedroom if she stopped in. Hermione turned to Draco, her head resting against his chest as they walked quietly through the halls. "Which room are we going to use?" she wondered, turning her eyes up at him.

"Which would you prefer?" he wondered, glancing down at her and rubbing his hand up and down her side, lulling her into a relaxed state.

"It doesn't matter much to me, I was just thinking that the other room, it could be Blaise's," she told him, nodding slowly. "He's likely not safe in the Slytherin dorms, so he could take the free bedroom."

Draco nodded, "Yeah, he hasn't been back there for awhile. He and Luna have been using the Tower as their own personal flop house since we left," he said, rather affectionately. "All right, so we'll move my things into your room later," he assured, nodding.

Just before they made it to the portrait hole of their tower, a familiar and unpleasant face came into view. Standing in front of the door to the Head quarters, was none other than Pansy Parkinson, who was screeching and stomping her foot at one of the guards, who was grimacing, but saying nothing in reply to whatever it was she was going on about. She huffed loud and dramatic, her jaw falling open as though she were going to head into a big rant, but she seemed to notice the approaching couple then and turned her attention to them. She began stomping her way over, only to have her way impeded by the two guards, who had crossed their arms and were adamant on her not being allowed to see either Hermione or Draco.

Feeling quite cheeky about the whole thing, Hermione had to force herself not to childishly stick her tongue out at the girl being hidden from her view from the two large men in front of her and her husband. Draco nodded at the two Auror's, getting a nod back before he made his way to the portrait and whispered the password so Parkinson wouldn't hear it.

"JUST YOU WAIT!" Pansy screeched. "I'll get back at you for all of this, Granger!" she squealed, sounding as though she were about to erupt into a fit of hysterical tears. "I'll get him back, mudblood! Mark my words! You'll be left in the dust with nothing but your precious j--"

Her words were cut off as the portrait closed and Draco let out a loud sigh, looking quite relieved to be away from even that small display from Parkinson. He smiled at Hermione softly, looking rather worried and not sure what to say. He took their cloaks and hung them up on the hooks near the door before pulling the shrunken trunks from his pockets and re-enlarging them. He carried them to their bedroom and then came back out for her. "You all right?" he wondered.

She nodded slowly, feeling quite homesick very suddenly. "Just wish we were back at home, that's all," she told him, sighing.

Draco nodded understandingly before making his way over to her, a familiar look in his eyes. Before she could say anything in protest, he slipped his arm under her legs and hefted her up in the air against his chest. He grinned at her as he walked them back to the bedroom and placed her on the middle of the bed. Kicking his shoes off and toeing away his socks, he slipped out of his clothes and then proceeded to rid her of the same, leaving them in nothing but their knickers. Crawling over beside her, he pulled her up against his side and cradled her in his arms. "It's going to get better," he assured, running the back of his hand slowly down her cheek.

Though she felt as though it could only get worse, she took him at his word and snuggled closer to him. The day seemed long and drawn out to her and she suddenly wondered how she could keep her eyes open much longer. Letting out a long sigh, she nuzzled her head against Draco's bare chest and let her eyes fall shut. A warm peace fell around her and for a moment, she forgot she was back at a school where the majority of the population loathed her. She forgot all about what could be in store for them, and let herself believe she was back at home. Wrapped in Draco's embrace, she let her mind think she was falling asleep in their large bed, inside their huge manor, where they had been married only a week before. She gave a soft sigh, a smile flitting across her face. When it was all over, she would relish in the freedom of being Hermione Jane Malfoy. Of having Draco and their own home. Of never having to put up with another mean spirited word about her and her relationship with her own husband. Oh how she longed for the day when they would be free at last.

* * *

**A/N** _I'm so sorry that I haven't updated recently! I hit a bit of a roadblock. I just had so many things I wanted to happen, that I wasn't sure where to really start. I'm sure you understand. Plus, I was a little sidetracked by my story, "**A Family Affair**," which I've grown quite attached too, lol. In any case, I will be getting back to updating this more regularly, so no worries. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, the next will feature the journal! Thanks for read, please leave a review!_

_Much Love,  
-**Amanda**_


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